Hawke’s Bay Today strike could spread

A six-day strike by journalists at the APN-owned Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper may spread to printers tomorrow.

Twenty-nine editorial staff have been on strike since last Wednesday in protest over the failure to settle their collective employment agreement, which expired on March 24 this year.

Tomorrow, workers in the paper’s production department are due to vote on whether to accept a company offer to settle their dispute.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that the workers were intensely frustrated by the lack of progress.

"They have had enough," he said. "This dispute has dragged on for nearly 10 months with the company failing to recognise that it has to make a decent pay offer to its staff."

Yesterday, the company offered the workers a 30-month settlement, with a 3.5 per cent pay rise now and another 3 per cent in 18 months’ time, plus a before-tax one-off payment of $250. The workers have been seeking a five per cent pay rise.

Mr Little said that it was ridiculous for APN to suggest that it couldn’t afford a decent pay rise.

"This is the company that saw 24 per cent growth last year, and recently boasted that that its regional newspapers are the fastest-growing in the country, with strong advertising revenue."

Meanwhile, a pay dispute at APN’s Wellington community newspapers has seen editorial workers on strike since last Friday.

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For further information contact Andrew Little on 0275 513476 or Adelia Hallett on 021 910037.