More strike action at Radio New Zealand

3 August 2005

More strike action at Radio New Zealand

Radio New Zealand workers are walking off the job again this morning in protest at the refusal of their employer to improve its current pay offer.

The stoppage is from 11am to 1pm. The workers are members of the Public Service Association and the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union. They are seeking a 5 per cent pay rise and a one week increase to annual leave entitlement in line with recent settlements in the public sector. Radio New Zealand is offering a 3 per cent one year agreement, with no change to annual leave entitlement.

PSA Organiser Brenden Sheehan says workers cannot understand why Radio New Zealand is refusing to value the huge contribution they have made in recent years.

“Radio New Zealand staff have worked incredibly hard to refresh the line-up of shows and successfully rolled out the public broadcasting network’s new nation-wide FM frequencies.

“Increased listenership shows those efforts have been appreciated by public.

“RNZ salaries lag behind other public and commercial broadcasters. Good staff will leave the network if they are not paid fair wages.

“It’s past time that staff were rewarded for their efforts.

“The strike action comes at the same time as RNZ continues a long-running dispute with a former manager. It hasn’t escaped our members notice that the money spent on that dispute is more than enough to conclude a new agreement.

“Further industrial action is inevitable if an improved pay offer is not forthcoming from Radio New Zealand,” Brenden Sheehan said.

ENDS

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