Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is the TVNZ strike politically motivated?

I'm surprised because TVNZ journos basically never strike. The last time they did was 20 years ago, in 2006. Yet, when they finally decide to strike, they choose to do it just nine days before an election.

Surely they're smart enough to realise how political that's going to look.

Now, I'm not saying they're necessarily trying to be political but I'd bet the two unions organising the strike absolutely are. Those unions are the PSA and E tū.

Let me remind you about them. The PSA is openly running a campaign called 'Change the Government' and E tū has published an election manifesto saying: "We want a Labour-led Government."

It has been noticeable how much the unions have been trying to influence this election. There have been horror stories out of hospitals, planted on One News, about doctors who are at their wits' end, coming through the unions. Nurses, represented by the unions, have been declaring a state of emergency in emergency departments for weeks.

There was the tertiary educators' strike, the nationwide mega health strike, the massive public service strike and now there's the TVNZ strike.

The PSA and E tū will know that this TVNZ strike is likely to be the highest-profile strike of them all because people are fascinated by those who work in television.

The problem for the TVNZ journos, who may be unwittingly allowing themselves to be used by their unions, is that their bulletin, and a select few of their journalist colleagues, regularly face accusations of bias, particularly from the breakfast host on this radio station, who has by far the country's largest radio audience.

So, for some people, all that's needed to confirm that perceived bias will be seeing a recognisable TV journo, accused of being hostile to the coalition Government, standing outside their workplace on a picket line just nine days before an election.

Now, I'm not saying these journalists don't have a legitimate claim to a pay rise. Maybe they do. But the timing is off.

'Slipped behind': E tū national secretary on why TVNZ staff plan to strike next week

For their own sake, so they're not seen to be participating in a collective union push for a change of Government, they should push the strike back a couple of weeks until after the election.

Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and radio broadcaster who hosts Newstalk ZB's weekday Drive-Time Show – where this article was sourced.