Strike to cut TV news

Press, 30 August 1985, Page 1

Strike to cut TV news

Television and radio news services will be curtailed from 6 p.m. today for the second time in two weeks because of industrial action by broadcasting journalists. The journalists voted yesterday to work to rule as recommended by their national advisory panel. The action will mean that television and radio news, and sports bulletins will be limited to written reports. No taped or live segments will be broadcast on television programmes such as the “6.30 News,” “Eye-wit-ness News,” “Sport on One” or “Sunday,” nor on radio programmes such as “Checkpoint,” “Morning Report,” or “Midday Report.” The most immediate effect will be on coverage of the four-day Labour Party national conference, which begins in Christchurch today. Four special television programmes covering the event will be reduced to verbal reports without television footage, or cancelled altogether.

The chairman of the national advisory panel, Mr

Bill Southworth, said that broadcasting journalists had voted overwhelmingly throughout New Zealand to work to rule.

The journalists seek a 20 per cent pay rise, made up of a 12.5 per cent special electronic skills allowance and a 7.5 per cent margin for providing their services seven days a week.

Mr Southworth said the action was symbolic, and intended to raise awareness of the special skills of broadcasting journalists. “All journalists have fundamental news-gathering skills. We are saying we have additional skills, and we want a skill payment for them,” Mr Southworth said. Broadcasting journalists called off a three-day work-to-rule last week when the Broadcasting Corporation indicated it would reconsider its initial skill payment offer of about 3 per cent to senior journalists. The corporation has raised its offer to 5 per cent for journalists graded NlO and above, which includes senior journalists and management. ■

Mr Southworth said the increase should apply to all broadcasting journalists, not just senior positions. “We say we are exercising special skills from day one,” Mr Southworth said. The journalists also seek a 10 per cent recruitment and retention increase to discourage skilled journalists leaving the corporation. This brings their total increase claim to 30 per cent, although Mr Southworth said this was a “bail-park figure.” “Journalists will no doubt accept a reasonable offer below that,” he said. Broadcasting journalists felt they had a just case because the corporation paid a 10 per cent allowance to journalists on the “Listener” in recognition of

their “superior literary merit.” The work-to-rule will last indefinitely, although Mr Southworth said a further meeting was planned for Friday next week, and other meetings might be held before that.

The corporation’s chief executive, Mr lan Cross, said last evening that it was taking legal advice on whether the journalists’ action constituted a strike. He would not comment on whether suspension of journalists was being considered.

“The corporation has reached the end of its road. There is nothing more we can do,” Mr Cross said. The dispute should now be taken to the Public Sector Tribunal, a body set up

to handle disputes such as the present one.

“There is no need for the public to be inconvenienced at all,” Mr Cross said.

Top-grade broadcasting journalists were already paid $2200 a year more than equivalent journalists in the print media, said Mr Cross. The corporation was prepared to offer a further 5 per cent margin to senior journalists, but not 30 per cent to all journalists.

“It is a ludicrous claim, and not one that we can entertain,” Mr Cross said. The corporation would pay a skills allowance only to journalists who had acquired electronic skills. “When they attain proficiency in special skills, we are prepared to recognise them,” Mr Cross said.