More than 140 unionised Stuff journalists are striking today, accusing the company of “hypocrisy” over what they describe as “insulting” pay offers, after the firm took “a secret payday from selling a share of the business to Trade Me”.

The journalists are walking off the job between 3pm and 5pm, with pickets outside newsrooms in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Media Insider has previously revealed that staff have sought an overall pay increase of 6.5%. One source has also outlined what they called a “hardline” attempt by the company to split the collective contract into separate agreements (Masthead Publishing and Stuff Digital).

Stuff Digital operates stuff.co.nz and Masthead Publishing looks after the company’s digital subscription websites and newspapers.

E tū union delegate Tom Hunt said in a statement today that the company was showing contempt for its staff.

“Stuff journalists have taken hit after hit to get [owner and chief executive] 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.”

Stuff has been contacted for comment.

In the same statement, another 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 [the Consumers Price Index, a measure of inflation], 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.”

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.

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