Fairfax metropolitan chief Jack Matthews has laid his cards on the table in his EBA battle with the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, emailing journalists on on Tuesday with an update on the state of play. As Crikey previously reported, the parties are deadlocked over below-inflation pay progressions of 2.5% a year for cadets through to grade 10, dwindling to 2% in the first and 1% in subsequent years for senior hacks.

“Much progress has been made, but there are some fundamental areas of difference,” Matthews thunders, before reiterating Fairfax demands that the Illawarra Mercury and The Herald in Newcastle be excluded from the metro agreement that also covers The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. The former digital tsar says he is strongly committed to a “meritocracy”, with puny bonuses of 1% and 2% on offer for journos that file the crispest copy.

But the MEAA wasn’t impressed, reporting back to members on the sub-par offer Tuesday afternoon. The current agreement nominally expires on Friday but the back and forth is expected to carry on for awhile yet.