Brisbane ABC staff have threatened further industrial action amid continuing upheaval over the relocation of the national broadcaster’s operations after a cancer scare. 


The ABC’s ageing site at Toowong, in the city’s inner-west, was abandoned before Christmas after an independent panel of experts found the breast cancer rate there was up to 11 times higher than the general working community.


Twelve women who worked at the riverside Toowong office have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 11 years, eight in the newsroom.


Staff returned to work on December 27 at a temporary studio based at the Ten Network premises at Mount Coot-tha from where radio bulletins resumed on Wednesday.


But that did not stop about 40 angry staff meeting at a hotel in Toowong and passing a vote of no-confidence in the management, condemning it for failing to properly plan for the relocation and calling for more detailed daily updates


About 90 journalists, presenters and producers walked off the job in a snap strike in July over the breast cancer issue and media union state secretary David Waters said there may be further industrial action.


“Certainly the health and safety concerns are sufficiently serious that employees are considering industrial action,” Mr Waters said.


“But it’s in the interests of all parties that these health and safety concerns are addressed immediately and ABC staff be permitted to get on with the job without any further risk to their health.


“This vote reflects the staff frustration that the lack of information that management is passing on to employees.”


ABC Queensland director Chris Wordsworth said he could understand the staff’s anger but work was underway to complete the relocation work, including the necessary technical fitout at Ten.


“What I can assure them of - and I say this when I run into them individually and talk to them - the process has been ongoing every single day,” Mr Wordsworth said.


“We have made amazing progress and I’m very optimistic we will have good news on a more homogeneous base for the ABC in Brisbane in the next few weeks, if not sooner.”