Journalists at Stuff are preparing to walk off the job this afternoon, with Christchurch among the centres where staff will take part in strike action.
Union members of E tū say they will stop work between 3pm and 5pm, with pickets planned outside newsrooms in Christchurch, Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.
Christchurch journalists are set to join colleagues nationwide in calling for wage increases that go beyond the Consumer Price Index, saying years of small or no rises have left them falling behind.
Auckland-based journalist and E tū delegate Sapeer Mayron said the strike was the result of years of being undervalued.
“Stuff has shown its employees over and over again that it thinks we are replaceable and not worth investing in with decent wages and working conditions. And yet we stay, because we believe in the work and care about the communities we report in,” she said.
“But after years of miserly increases, with our pay going backwards in real terms – some years with no increases at all – we simply can’t afford to keep working here unless Stuff pays us properly.”
Wellington-based journalist and delegate Tom Hunt said staff had accepted pay freezes to help the company through difficult times, but were now being offered what he described as “an insulting pay rise.”
“To now be offered an insulting pay rise, and to see the company trying to split us into different collective agreements, is disgraceful,” Hunt said.
The strike is scheduled to take place today following months of negotiations between the media company and the union.
Stuff has been approached for comment.