Stuff media workers strike over low pay and company tactics – E Tu

E tū members at Stuff are striking today in response to low pay offers and attempts by the company to divide its workforce.

From 3–5pm, members will walk off the job with pickets outside newsrooms in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Auckland-based journalist and E tū delegate Sapeer Mayron says the strike is about 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.

“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. That means more than CPI, to catch up on all those years of falling behind.

“Going on strike today comes after months of asking this company to live up to its reputation in Aotearoa’s eyes, and in the eyes of its staff, each of whom become more disillusioned every day as our leaders deny us the decent wages and conditions we deserve.”

Wellington-based journalist and E tū delegate Tom Hunt says the company is showing contempt for its staff.

“Stuff journalists have taken hit after hit to get Sinead Boucher’s company through hard times. We accepted no increases during COVID and effectively nothing last year, because we believed the company when it told us times were tough.

“To now be offered an insulting pay rise, and to see the company trying to split us into different collective agreements, is disgraceful. It shows they plan to keep screwing us for years to come.

“This is from a company that boasts about being a wonderful corporate citizen, all while our owner takes a secret payday from selling a share of the business to Trade Me. The hypocrisy is staggering.”