Waikato Times strike continues

August 26, 2005

Waikato Times strike continues

Waikato Times journalists continue their strike today for an across-the-board five per cent pay rise.

They walked off the job at 5.30am yesterday and have not said when they will return to work. They are picketing the Te Rapa site.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little said that the company had offered a package which included a five per cent rise for junior journalists, with a 3.5 per cent rise for senior staff.

“These workers believe that they should all get a rise of five per cent,” he said.

The Waikato Times is owned by the Australian-based Fairfax group, which has just named former All Black captain David Kirk as its new chief executive. Four other New Zealand Fairfax papers – the Upper Hutt Leader, the Hutt News, the Kapi-Mani News and the Kapiti Observer, are also involved in pay disputes.

ENDS

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