Staff at four newspapers on strike

Staff at four daily newspapers have walked off the job this morning in a campaign for a 5 per cent pay rise.

More than 100 workers at the Wanganui Chronicle, Hawke's Bay Today, the Wairarapa Times-Age and the Levin Chronicle are on strike for 24 hours.

All four papers are owned by Australian Provincial Newspapers (APN), which has offered staff a 2.8 per cent pay increase.

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little today described the APN offer as paltry.

"This is a company that last year made a record $142.8 million profit, up 26 per cent on the previous year," he said.

"Much of that profit has been earned off the back of New Zealand newspapers, productivity has increased enormously, and the people who staff those newspapers are entitled to a fair share," he said.

Staff are picketing the four newspapers.

APN's other New Zealand holdings include the New Zealand Herald, the Northern Advocate, the Daily Post, the Bay of Plenty Times and the Christchurch Star.

- NZPA