default-output-block.skip-main
National | Strike

E tū disputes Māori Television 'posturing' claims

In a statement released this afternoon, E tū representative Joe Gallagher said the union is disappointed with the media statement issued by Māori Television CEO, Keith Ikin and his suggestion that the union is obstructing pay talks.

“We completely reject this,” says Gallagher, who is the E tū Industry Coordinator, Communications.

“We met with our members on Thursday after talks with Māori TV where they made an improved offer.  While we appreciate the effort that went into that, our members rejected it,” he says.

“Māori TV offered a pay rise of 0.9 percent and we asked them to increase that by 0.1 percent and also sought an extra day of annual leave.

“Our response to their offer is extremely modest and to suggest we’re posturing in the media is rubbish.

“We are not posturing: we are representing the wishes of our members, who rejected an offer that’s not quite there.

“A tiny tweak is all that’s needed to resolve this dispute. So, our message to Keith Ikin is to stop trying to score points in the media and let’s get this deal done.”

Earlier today, Māori Television management released a statement saying the broadcaster 'remains committed' to working with the E Tū Union to bring to a close a prolonged collective bargaining process in the interest of its staff.

Chief Executive Keith Ikin says the offer of a base pay rise and a payment based on individual performance made during talks is equitable with non-union members and consistent across the organisation.

“We believe the offer put forward to the union at talks yesterday is both fair and reasonable and supports the organisation’s performance-based remuneration approach,” says Ikin.

“We are disappointed that the union has taken a position that appears to be more about public posturing than supporting its members. A contingency plan has been put in place to ensure that our viewers are not impacted by any potential strike action and that they can continue to enjoy our programmes.

“We remain committed to progressing the deal and reaching an agreement in the interest of providing certainty for Māori Television staff in the union collective.”