RNZ staff plan protests against financial blowout, planned redundancies

Detailed summary

RNZ staff will hold protests, after financial blunders left the public broadcaster facing sweeping job cuts. On Monday, RNZ revealed a shock $11.8 million budget blowout in the…

RNZ staff will hold protests, after financial blunders left the public broadcaster facing sweeping job cuts.

On Monday, RNZ revealed a shock $11.8 million budget blowout in the year to June - more than 25 times the expected deficit.

Chief executive Paul Thompson took responsibility for the blowout and said internal reports gave an inaccurate picture of the finances, so the scale of the loss only became clear in October.

In its just-published annual report, RNZ set out plans to axe the equivalent of 58 fulltime jobs - about one in six staff - by the end of March and cut running costs by at least 5 percent.

E tū union director Amy Hansen said staff would protest outside the Wellington and Auckland offices between midday and 1pm next Tuesday, demanding accountability.

She said the board and senior management didn't appear to have considered any other options, before announcing staff cuts.

"Staff should not be on the chopping block, when this is clearly none of their fault."

Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the picket was a chance to express anger at the proposed job losses and support for RNZ staff.

An RNZ spoksperson said many of the public broadcaster's staff were union members.

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