Strike threat remains as ABC staff return to work

The ABC has resumed scheduled programming but the threat of more staff strikes lingers with a frustrated workforce angered by management's "massively offensive" claims.

Tensions between staff and management flared when ABC managing director Hugh Marks accused his workers of "playing games" hours before a 24-hour strike at the national broadcaster ended on Thursday.

After re-runs, BBC News broadcasts and contributions from non-union staff, regular ABC programming began from about 12.30pm AEDT.

On the ABC's main news channel, host Ros Childs resumed rolling news headlines shortly after 1.30pm with no acknowledgement of the preceding disruptions.

Earlier on Thursday on a show hosted by ABC Radio Sydney station management, Mr Marks poured fuel on the fire, suggesting staff were "playing games" by taking industrial action.

Media union federal president and ABC environment reporter Michael Slezak labelled Mr Marks' comments "massively offensive" and called for them to be retracted.

The former Nine chief, who took the ABC reins a year ago, did not comprehend staff members' love for the national broadcaster, Slezak said.

"It's simply outrageous ... these are not games, people here are giving up their own wages to fight for the conditions under which a public broadcaster can be great," Slezak told AAP.

Workers knocked back a 10 per cent pay rise over three years, pushed for 13.5 per cent and are also protesting against what they say is the ABC's over-reliance on short-term contracts.

"Both sides need to say 'you know what, the audience comes first and we need to stop playing games and focus on that'," Mr Marks told ABC Rado Sydney.

Some talkback callers supported the managing director but others were scathing in their feedback.

"That's quite galling, frankly," one caller said, while another called Mr Marks "ultimately disrespectful".

Workers have warned of further industrial action if their demands are not met.

Employees could take strike action as often as they want, provided legal processes including formal ballots were complied with, Sydney University law school's Shae McCrystal said.

"The workers here can continue to take strike actions, provided any future actions they take were approved in the initial strike ballot," she told AAP.

"In this case, the employees have limited choices to support their claims and get the outcome they want. Strike action - or the threat of strike action - is one of those options."

Access to lawful strike action would only be stopped by the parties agreeing to a deal or Fair Work Commission intervention, Professor McCrystal said.

Striking staff were locked out of their offices during the action.

Thousands of journalists, camera operators, technicians and other staff rallied outside more than 60 ABC offices on Wednesday.

Management had long told workers everything was rosy at the ABC, but business journalist Dan Ziffer said they had ignored the unstable, insecure employment conditions and stagnating pay.

Unions and workers across many sectors were showing an increased willingness to take industrial action, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer partner Rohan Doyle said.

"Workers are understandably pushing for pay increases that keep pace with inflation ... but at the same time many employers are under pressure," the enterprise bargaining and industrial disputes expert told AAP.

The industrial action is the broadcaster's first major strike since 2006.

More than 4400 people work at the ABC, including 2000 in news, the largest division.