Let them eat cake, says APN

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union members at the Christchurch Star and the Oamaru Mail walked off the job this morning after rejecting company offers that included grocery vouchers.

The strike action comes after the two APN-owned newspapers refused to meet union members’ claims for a pay rise that meets the rising cost of living.

The Oamaru Mail is refusing to budge from its offer of 3.5% plus $200 of grocery vouchers, while the Christchurch Star is offering its workers 2.8% plus $100 in cash.

EPMU Organiser Wayne Ruscoe, who organises the Star, says union members found the company’s latest offer insulting.

“The fact is, APN can well afford to give its staff a decent pay rise. This is an Australian multinational making hundreds of millions of dollars out of this country and they’re trying to fob off their Kiwi workers with what is effectively a pay cut.

“I’m astounded that a giant Aussie company really expects people to take this offer seriously, but the good news is that there is real support for these workers.”

EPMU Organiser John Gardner, who organises the Mail, says members tried every avenue in negotiating with the company before resorting to industrial action.

“This is just another example of APN trying to push down wages. If they continue behaving this way it’s going to be no good for workers or for the quality of the news.

“Our members don’t enjoy going on strike, but faced with an effective pay cut they really had no other option. You can’t pay your mortgage with grocery vouchers.

“You’ve really got to ask if offering news-workers food vouchers means APN sees them as a new kind of underclass.”

The EPMU is currently pursuing legal action against APN for using illegal strikebreakers at the Oamaru Mail earlier this month.

Off-shift Progressive Enterprises workers who were locked out last year will be joining Star workers on their picket line in a show of solidarity.

ENDS

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