ABC managing director Hugh Marks made the comments on radio during the first strike affecting news services in 20 years.
The national broadcaster's 24-hour strike ended at 11am AEDT on Thursday but tensions between staff and management remain high.
On a show hosted by ABC Radio Sydney station management who stepped into the void left by striking journalists, 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 the 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.
"He's been in this organisation for five minutes, but a lot of people striking have been here for years and years ... they care deeply about what happens and have seen conditions undermine how great it can be."
Workers knocked back a 10 per cent pay rise over three years and pushed for 13.5 per cent, and are also protesting against what they say is the ABC's over-reliance on short-term contracts.
"Sometimes it feels like a bit of a game to me, and I don't think this is a game, this is really serious," Mr Marks told ABC Rado Sydney.
"Both sides need to say 'you know what, the audience comes first and we need to stop playing games and focus on that'."
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.
Nightly news bulletins and flagship current affairs program 7.30 did not go to air on Wednesday evening and ABC News Breakfast wasn't broadcast on Thursday morning, along with local breakfast and morning radio programs.
While the strike ended at 11am, regularly scheduled programs were set to return at about 12.30pm.
Striking staff were locked out of their offices for the duration of the action.
Thousands of striking journalists, camera operators, technicians and other staff rallied outside more than 60 ABC offices on Wednesday, including in Melbourne and Sydney.
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.
Radio presenter David Marr said workers had sent management a warning there would be more staff strife if things did not change.
"Further down the track there's going to be more trouble unless this fundamental is addressed - decent wages," he told the Sydney gathering.
Public service union organiser Sam McCrone said staff across the nation had shown up and were willing to fight after management applied for a Fair Work Commission hearing.
Unions and workers across many sectors were showing an increasing 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.
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