Journos walk out at Timaru Herald

March 31, 2005

Media Release

Journos walk out at Timaru Herald

Journalists at the Fairfax-owned Timaru Herald have walked off the job in a dispute over pay.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that 10 editorial workers - the majority of the editorial department - downed-tools at 3pm yesterday in protest over the failure to settle a new collective employment agreement. They will not return to work until noon on Sunday.

“All these people want is a fair pay rise and to get on with putting the paper out,” Mr Little said.

The workers are seeking a 5 per cent pay rise, back-dated to the expiry of the old agreement on October 31. The company has offered them a three per cent rise with no backdating.

“Workers all over the country are getting pay rises of around five per cent,” Mr Little said.

“Fairfax is creaming it, and can afford to share its wealth with the people who generate it.”

The workers had earlier taken limited industrial action, including refusing to cover court.

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