Deal reached at TVNZ

After six months of negotiations, including more than a month of rolling strikes, workers at TVNZ this week ratified an agreement including a fifth week’s service leave for long serving members and a move to a single national agreement.

The deal also included a pay rise of 2.5% plus another 1.5% performance pay, and a 6% increase in the minimum rate to bring it up to $12.

EPMU Organiser Rachel Mackintosh says a lot’s been learnt from the dispute. “This is the first time in living memory that TVNZ members have taken industrial action. There’s been a real sense of solidarity and we’ve all had a taste of what can be achieved when we stick together. Which is important, because everyone realises there’s still a lot more work to do.”

Mackintosh says both TVNZ and Avalon members supported each other with industrial action during the dispute, and the single agreement should help build that solidarity.

There was, however, disappointment at management’s refusal to budge on pay. Mackintosh says this will have to be addressed if TVNZ wants to maintain its standards.

“If TVNZ wants to remain a world class public broadcaster then it’s going to have to address the substandard pay and conditions of its workers. The company needs to invest in its staff and retain its skilled workforce if it wants to maintain the kind of quality programming required by the Charter.

“This will become increasingly apparent as TVNZ moves to implement a 24 hour news and sport channel, with all the increased staffing levels this will require.”

The 300 members at TVNZ are represented jointly by the EPMU and the PSA.