Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel
TVNZ staff are railing against the broadcaster's proposal to slash almost 70 jobs, and programmes including Sunday and Fair Go.
Staff were told of the plans last week, but E Tū union members on Wednesday unanimously rejected the proposals.
Members were angry about both the suggested changes and shoddy consultation, E Tū negotiations specialist Michael Wood said.
"The first opportunity to talk about that has been the company coming to people and saying, 'We're going to slash these iconic shows and make nearly 70 people redundant.'
"Our members at TVNZ who work there, want to sit down and present their ideas, they've got them, they're ready for that discussion, they're realistic about the challenges. But TVNZ has jumped straight to a slash-and-burn approach."
Members understood change was needed, but management should have sought their ideas at the very beginning of the process, he said. They also wanted to see how TVNZ had crunched the numbers to inform its proposal.
"We don't understand how they can cut shows that continue to be a commercial success. We've asked for the relevant background information, including the broader financial information, so we can make informed recommendations."
The union asked TVNZ for much more time to absorb the information and come up with alternative ideas that "protect news and current affairs in a sustainable way".
It would also soon launch a public campaign so everyone in Aotearoa had a chance to show their support, Wood said.
"We are all stakeholders here, because it's about telling everyone's stories, and holding power to account.
"It's time for us to get up and tell the decision-makers exactly how important a well-functioning media landscape is for all of us."
TVNZ confirmed to RNZ 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."