Journalists for Allied Press have gone on strike in protest against the company's offer on the table for their new collective agreement.
About 40 members of the E tū union started a 24-hour strike at 9am today, calling for wages to be brought into line with industry pay rates.
Allied Press chief executive Grant McKenzie said the strike action was disappointing after an offer was made to the union yesterday "that we believe addressed their issues".
"We have also offered to meet with the union and the delegates this week," Mr McKenzie said.
"We acknowledge there is high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, which is why we think our offer is fair."
Allied Press publishes the Otago Daily Times, runs a regional television station and owns a series of community newspapers in southern centres such as Invercargill, Queenstown and Oamaru and in Canterbury.
ODT delegate and journalist Rebecca Fox said members' pay rises for the past 15 years had fallen behind inflation, as well as what other people in the industry were getting.
The ODT and the broader media industry had it tough at the moment, but this could not be an excuse for "unliveable" wages, she said.
"Other players in the industry are getting 5 to 6% pay increases – our last one was 2%."
Journalists at Allied Press had also been struggling for years with a lack of training and resources, and this added to their feeling of being under-appreciated, she said.
E tū organiser Ann Galloway said negotiations with the company had typically been drawn out.
"Members are fed up with waiting on their employer to give them a decent pay rise,” she said.
Pay rates were low, compared to what was available at other newspaper outlets, she said.
“Members are prepared to keep fighting until they receive an offer that they can accept.”
E tū members who work at Allied Press in print distribution also voted to strike for 24 hours.
They were to join the picket line in Dunedin this afternoon.
The union said those workers were also "pursuing a decent pay rise that will bring their wages into line with industry pay rates".
Mr McKenzie said editorial staff were a key part of the Allied Press operation and did a great job.
Staff were pitching in with production of publications.
"We will still be producing all titles but there may be some delays with a few of our community titles."
