Fairfax journalists have called off their picket lines and opted to hold committee meetings with union organisers as their three-day strike against job cuts entered its second day.
Journalists at Fairfax Media newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald, the Illawarra Mercury, the Newcastle Herald and The Age picketed outside their offices on Friday in protest of a planned 550 job cut.
The newspapers were being produced by senior staff and employees contractually exempt from industrial action.
Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) spokesman Mike Dobbie said no pickets were planned on Saturday as the union held talks with the separate house committees of the papers.
But he was surprised to see Fairfax Media boss David Kirk writing the preview for Saturday night's Tri Nations rugby union test between the Wallabies and South Africa.
"It was a very interesting turn of events," Mr Dobbie said.
"Does that make him the highest paid sports writer (for) the Sydney Morning Herald?"
Mr Dobbie said the sport sections in the SMH and The Age were the ones most suffering during the strike.
"It is interesting that the CEO, whose knowledge of quality journalism appears to be minimal, is offering himself to be a sportswriter."
Mr Kirk was the captain of the All Blacks that won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 - the only time that New Zealand has won the trophy.