E tū members at media company Stuff are going on strike on Thursday afternoon.

They are protesting in response to what they say are low pay offers and attempts to divide the workforce.

From 3pm until 5pm, staff will walk off the job and picket outside newsrooms in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Auckland-based journalist and E tū delegate Sapeer Mayron said the strike was 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 said the company seemed to be showing contempt for 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.”

It is understood staff are also unhappy about the company’s plans to split their collective agreement into two, which they feel would reduce their bargaining power.

The company separated into two different entities last year.

Stuff Digital administers stuff.co.nz, Neighbourly and its audio and video divisions.

Newspaper brands and their own websites like The PostThe Press and The Waikato Times are run by Masthead Publishing.

Trade Me recently took a 50% stake in Stuff Digital.

Stuff staff also went on strike in 2022 over their pay negotiations.

Stuff has been approached for comment.

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