Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
TVNZ staff are refusing to sit quietly while cuts are being made and want to know why profitable programmes are being slashed.
The broadcaster last week announced plans to cut up to 68 jobs and axe programmes including Sunday and Fair Go.
TVNZ staff from the E Tū union voted unanimously to reject the proposals.
E tū spokesperson Michael Wood told Morning Report there's been no real process of sitting down with staff. "Instead they're just slashing news and current affairs and reducing the ability of TVNZ to tell the stories of New Zealand."
TVNZ union unimpressed with plan to cut profitable news shows
Wood said they want TVNZ to pause plans and restart the process.
"The staff are ready to sit at the table and work through this and chart out a sustainable future for TVNZ but you can't do that if the first thing that happens is a proposal to slash news and current affairs gets lumped on the table."
TVNZ confirmed it received a letter from E tū on Wednesday afternoon.
"We'll respond to this letter in due course," a spokesperson said. "We'll continue to work with the union, but we have no further comment to provide at this stage."