Press on strike

June 21, 2001

Media Release

Press on strike

Day staff at the Christchurch newspaper The Press are on strike and night staff are meeting to decide whether to join them.

Forty-two staff walked off the job at 11.30am. They were from editorial, advertising, prepress and the photolitho departments and are all members of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union.

They are angry that their employer, Rupert Murdoch-controlled INL, is refusing to negotiate an agreement to cover core conditions at the INL daily and Auckland suburban newspapers. A complaint by the union over the company’s behaviour at talks will go before the Employment Relations Authority early next month.

Today’s strike follows stoppages by some staff over the weekend and a rally in Wellington last Thursday by staff at sister INL papers, the Dominion and the Evening Post, outside a shareholders’ meeting.

Workers at The Press will not return to work before 8am tomorrow.

Ends

For further information contact Andrew Little on 025 513476 or Adelia Hallett on 025 2900037.

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