TVNZ has been forced into mediation over its cuts to news programmes and its planned redundancies have been put on hold
The Employment Relations Authority [ERA] has found the Crown-owned broadcaster "breached" a clause of a collective agreement with news staff.
The E tū union took the case to the ERA, after TVNZ announced it would axe high-profile shows Sunday and Fair Go and its Midday and Tonight news bulletins.
TVNZ proposed in March to cut 68 jobs across the company. The Midday news bulletin has already ceased production and Sunday is slated for its final programme this weekend.
The ERA determination, released on Friday, orders the broadcaster into mediation with the union.
"The Authority finds that TVNZ has breached cl 10.1.1 of the collective agreement," ERA member Peter Fuiava said in the determination.
The authority found TVNZ had an obligation to consult with staff under the clause.
If there is no resolution after mediation, the authority says a compliance order will be issued ordering TVNZ to comply with the clause.
E Tū's negotiation specialist Michael Wood told Newshub it was a "strong ruling" and that the union "had won".
"The determination demonstrates that TVNZ management seriously underestimated the extent to which they needed to engage with their employees to find a way forward in these difficult times for the company.
"They need to engage much more fully - and that requirement is for the benefit of viewers, and the public as a broad stakeholder, as well as for workers at TVNZ. Workers and stakeholders all deserve much better," said Wood.
E Tū said redundancies at the broadcaster will be "paused until the matter is resolved".
"We aren't going to predetermine the outcome of our mediation, but we are hoping that TVNZ management will finally get the message that they can't take their workers for granted in these processes," said Wood.
In a statement, TVNZ said it was "disappointed by the decision".
