The Standard » workers’ rights

A living wage

Ben Clark — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:34:10 +0000

The Service and Food Workers Union is launching a campaign for a living wage at 12 o'clock today.

A good move

Bunji — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:40:12 +0000

The government has correctly bowed to pressure and banned foreign-flagged fishing boats from operating in our waters.
We don't have too many posts praising this government, and to have 2 today may surprise some. But credit where it's due.

Meatworkers win

Eddie — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:21:45 +0000

News in that Talley's/AFFCO and the Meatworkers reached an agreement at 5am this morning. The workers will keep their wage and job security provisions and still be covered by a collective. The workers have displayed incredible strength with support from up and down the country. Next time, bosses will think twice before attacking their workers.

Spin v reality

Ben Clark — Mon, 21 May 2012 06:45:41 +0000

National have become a very adept PR machine. While not adept at running the country, they’ve become great at running statistics. John Key was pushing things a little too far with his lines that unemployment rising to 6.7% showed an improved economy and that Europe electing anti-austerity leaders showed their austerity policies were right, but ...

Polls and elections

Anthony R0bins — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:14:15 +0000

Another poll to add to current mix. Not a big shift, but in the right direction, and getting the right kinds of headline. And here's another headline that isn't going to help the Nats - the wage gap with Australia is growing at the rate of $1 a month.

Wage cuts for doing your job?

James Henderson — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:48:12 +0000

Sometimes during union bargaining that has hit a wall, workers will vote to 'work to rule' - ie not do extras beyond the terms of you contract. It's perfectly legal. In fact, it should be what we all do every day. Working beyond rule is gifting time and effort to the boss for no compensation. But National wants employers to be able to cut your pay for doing your job.

I’d love to see wages drop

IrishBill — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:32:54 +0000

Remember when John Key said he'd love to see wages drop? Yep? How about when Bill English claimed our low wages were our competitive advantage. Uh-huh.

Well the changes they're bringing in to undermine working Kiwis' bargaining power will do exactly that.

True ‘cost’ of Mondayisation deliberately hidden

Anthony R0bins — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:02:40 +0000

An interesting press release from David Clark, sponsor of the "Mondayisation" bill. It looks like the process of constructing the official advice on this matter was deliberately biased. Why?

The zero growth agenda

Eddie — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:43:34 +0000

I chuckled to read Fran O'Shillivan on Sunday: "John Key has made a strategic decision to burn some political capital and front-foot major Government decisions" - yeah, all those major decisions: $1m for contraception, 'tackling cyber-bullying', a petty pokies for convention centre deal, even their centrepiece policy - asset sales - won't benefit the economy a jot.

AFFCO appeal

The Standard — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:50:36 +0000

The CTU have launched an appeal for donations towards the food and essential bills of AFFCO workers.
Please Donate to NZCTU DISPUTES FUND, 38 9007 0894028 08. Money will go direct to workers.

The real reason for the secret ballot law

IrishBill — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:35:21 +0000

The tories are all puffed up about finally getting their secret ballot law passed. It's about freedom they say, they're on the side of the working man.

Thing is it's not. And they most certainly aren't.

He’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy

Zetetic — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:21:39 +0000

Don't get me wrong. Apart from a couple of policies (asset sales, overseas investment, no borrowing for tax cuts), Colin Craig's politics are bad. But I like his Boscawen-like mad honesty. It's fun. Mainly because it makes him so uncomfortable for his new National suitors. But his up-frontness ends when asked about his compulsory Christianity employment contracts.

NRT: Bringing Ports of Auckland to heel

The Standard — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:54:26 +0000

Over the past few months, we've seen Auckland City's wholly-owned port, Ports of Auckland, waging war against its own workforce, costing the city millions of dollars in lost dividends. Now, the Auckland Council has acted, requiring its intermediate Auckland Council Investments Limited to impose "good employer" provisions on its subsidiaries.

Talley’s cracking

Zetetic — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:51:16 +0000

It is a fundamental injustice of our society that one family, which already has more than it can ever need, can hold 1,300 families, who have very little, to ransom just to make a little more cash. But the union makes us working people strong. By standing together, the workers are beating Talley's in the AFFCO lockout. Talley's cracked. Wants half them back. The workers have said 'all of us or none of us'.

1000 more jobless each week

Bunji — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:17:33 +0000

The unemployment rate has jumped to 6.7%, as National delivered only 20,000 of the 36,000 jobs promised last budget. Last quarter there were 12,000 more jobless.

Where's our recovery John? Have you sold that off too?