Checkpoint off air tonight

17 August 2005

Checkpoint off air tonight

Radio New Zealand’s drive time news and current affairs programme, Checkpoint, will be off the air tonight as staff take further industrial action in support of a better pay deal.

The stoppage is from 4m to 6pm. 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 Fleur Fitzsimons says Radio New Zealand workers are committed to continuing with industrial action until they get a fair pay offer from their employer.

“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 paid fair wages and rewarded for the considerable effort they have put in to refreshing the network’s programmes and the boosting its listenership.

“It’s regrettable that our industrial action campaign continues to affect the network’s listeners, but with Radio New Zealand refusing to budge staff feel they have no other way to demonstrate their resolve to get a better offer,” Fleur Fitzsimons said.

ENDS

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