Morning Report off air, picket on The Terrace

National Radio is off the air again this morning as staff continue their push for a five per cent pay rise.

Today’s strike, from 4am until 9am, involves about 30 people and has taken the state broadcaster’s flagship Morning Report news and currant affairs programme off the air for the seecon time this month. A strike yesterday afternoon saw Checkpoint fail to go to air.

The workers, members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and the Public Service Association, are now picketing the Radio New Zealand building on The Terrace in Wellington.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little, who is on the picket line, said that their claim for a five per cent pay rise was modest.

“These are hardworking people whose pay rates do not reflect their high level of skill,” he said.

“Two years ago Radio New Zealand was given an extra $14 million over four years for operational costs and there was a clear understanding that pay rates would be seriously addressed. That hasn’t happened.”

Official statistics released yesterday showed that the average public sector pay rise in the June quarter was 5.3 per cent.

Mr Little said that the vast majority of workers represented by the EPMU were getting pay rises of at least five per cent. Radio New Zealand has offered a three per cent rise.

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