Case will now be raised to Australia's Federal Court for full trial
Journalist Antoinette Lattouf has revealed that mediation between her and her former employer, ABC, was "unsuccessful."
In a statement, the presenter said the failure of the mediation was "incredibly disheartening."
Mediation between both parties were ordered by the Federal Court in March over Lattouf's allegations of unlawful termination against the ABC. Its failure means the case will head towards a full trial before the Federal Court.
"Despite how hard this has been on me and how unfair it is, let me be clear - I will not stop," Lattouf said in a statement published on X.
"I will not stop fighting for press freedom. I will not stop fighting for human rights. I won't stop fighting for a brave and independent ABC, a public broadcaster that doesn't bow to lobby groups."
Lattouf is suing the public broadcaster of unlawful termination after it pulled her radio show off air in December for posting about the Israel-Gaza war, a move that ABC claimed was against its policy.
She is also suing her former employer for reportedly breaching its own Enterprise Agreement (EA) and accused them of sacking her without due process.
The presenter is seeking "reinstatement, compensation, pecuniary penalties" against ABC. She also wants its management to undergo training to ensure compliance with their EA obligations.
Fair Work Commission's decision
The mediation's failure comes weeks after the Fair Work Commission sided with Lattouf in the case, ruling that she was sacked from her casual role in December.
ABC argued that the move to pull the plug early on Lattouf's five-day programme was not unlawful, highlighting that it paid her for full five days.
But the FWC rejected this argument, citing the ABC's decision to not let Lattouf perform further casual work for ABC.
"In this case, I find that the employment relationship between the Applicant and the ABC, was terminated at the ABC's initiative," the FWC said in its decision.
"The Applicant was not allocated any further or other work to perform, and she was asked to politely leave (sooner rather than later) the ABC premises (meaning that she was immediately relieved of performing any further work or service for the remainder of her shift that day)."
The ABC has not yet commented on the failed mediation, but it previously said it would defend its position at the Federal Court, The Guardian reported.
