Imperator Fish: ACT’s new employment relations policy

20 comments on “Imperator Fish: ACT’s new employment relations policy ”

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1. Tracey 1

   13 June 2014 at 8:45 am

   Very clever.

   Helen Kelly spoke very well yesterday following Simon Bridges disingenuous announcement about labour laws.
2. Tom Gould 2

   13 June 2014 at 9:06 am

   I guess slavery is a logical next step after making incest okay?
3. fdx 3

   13 June 2014 at 9:17 am

   I jokingly asked the young Indian guy at the local off license about his minimum wages and he replied that he doesn’t even get that, so I pressed him a bit and he told me that they get $200 pw and accommodation which they share with other workers. the house is owned by the employer who has quite a few of these bottle stores around town.
   I wouldn’t think this is an isolated incident. With the huge influx of migrant workers and business owners and only a fool would think that just because they are now in New Zealand that they are going to magically follow the employment rules imposed upon them. That is why they prefer to use their own kind rather than New Zealanders because the know NZ workers would not put up with it.
   So joking aside, if this is not a case of slavery being that if they do not comply with the owners wishes who then will withdraw support so the worker is left jobless, homeless and without a visa then I suppose slavery is flourishing in New Zealand but as the masters and slaves are non New Zealanders I suppose that makes it all right.
   • Molly 3.1

     13 June 2014 at 10:31 am

     I’ve read a couple of interesting books in the last few years, that has slavery numbers higher than they have ever been. Mostly, because of situations such as you describe – but including forced prostitution and promises of distant employment not being kept, and then the vulnerable people being exploited.

     There are also many cases where families incur debt at inflated rates, and whole families are indentured to work in places with very little chance of leaving. Compliance is often ensured by violence.

     We live in a topsy-turvy world… where slavery surrounds us, and we don’t see it because it is not in chains.
     • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1

       13 June 2014 at 1:07 pm

       +1
   • Kiwiri 3.2

     13 June 2014 at 10:34 am

     Very much doubt that is an isolated incident.

     “they get $200 pw and accommodation which they share with other workers. the house is owned by the employer who has quite a few of these … around town”

     I have heard similar kinds of accounts from workers in the hospitality sector (eg cooks in ethnic as well as general restaurants/cafes) and the dairy industry.

     They are pretty much a captive and ‘compliant’ workforce, beholden to their employers whims and demands, and they won’t want to put at risk their visas and other expenses that they have paid or for which they have borrowed funds to get them here.

     The ones I talked to were quite disillusioned about the so-called fair and honest New Zealand that they had heard about before arriving.
   • Malcolm 3.3

     13 June 2014 at 11:36 am

     If you want to help you could put him in touch with UNIMEG, First Union’s migrant network:

     http://www.firstunion.org.nz/company/unimeg
4. Steve Wrathall 4

   13 June 2014 at 12:35 pm

   If you all care so much about exploitation of foreign workers then remove the restrictions on overseas hiring that make them have to pay huge amounts to agents and then end up beholden to one employer. But the unions don’t want that do they? They want the competition taken out.
   And the correct ACT logo is here
   http://www.elections.org.nz/parties-candidates/registered-political-parties/register-political-parties
   • Draco T Bastard 4.1

     13 June 2014 at 1:09 pm

     If you all care so much about exploitation of foreign workers then remove the restrictions on overseas hiring that make them have to pay huge amounts to agents and then end up beholden to one employer.

     What restrictions would those be?
   • lprent 4.2

     13 June 2014 at 2:28 pm

     Talk to Mr Yorke. I repost as they are. The image probably links back to his site.

     I have to say that it is almost as hard to keep up with their ever changing logos as it is to find out which leader that they have this week.

     On the other hand I could spend a while enhancing the new logo with chains, manacles, and whips if the current image really upsets you.
     • Scott Yorke 4.2.1

       13 June 2014 at 2:54 pm

       Fixed it. It’s so hard to keep track of their various logos. They seem to change as often as their leader.
       • lprent 4.2.1.1

         13 June 2014 at 6:49 pm

         I should take time to enhance the image. Great post by the way. You should have seen my aged parents faces going from distaste to chortling as they progressed through the post.
     • Steve Wrathall 4.2.2

       13 June 2014 at 8:44 pm

       ACT’s had as many leaders in the last decade as Labour has
       • McFlock 4.2.2.1

         13 June 2014 at 10:03 pm

         yeah, given that today is the anniversary of hide taking over ten years ago.

         A lot of caucus friction for a party so small. And of course Labour never had to replace their leader with a non-mp because their only MP turned out to be a criminal. Seriously, only ACT can have a caucus leadership unseating with only one caucus member.
5. Macro 5

   13 June 2014 at 1:30 pm

   Actually slavery costs employers more than our current system. Slave owners have to house and feed their slaves. By paying minimal wages, employers externalise their costs to the general community who pick up the costs through increased welfare, increased health costs, increased accident costs, increased child care costs, increased crime, increased prison costs, to name just a few. Oooops! forgot the most import one – the cost of increased protection for the wealthy (more policing).
   I think employers would be reluctant to re-introduce slavery simply because now there are much better ways to externalise the costs of employment, especially with such a compliant govt.
   • Draco T Bastard 5.1

     13 June 2014 at 7:02 pm

     +1

     Employers with any sort of nous would be very much against re-introducing slavery.
6. thechangeling 6

   13 June 2014 at 2:38 pm

   Is that article tongue-in-cheek? It’s nutty enough to be part of the National Party’s manifesto.
7. Steve Wrathall 7

   13 June 2014 at 8:53 pm

   Slavery is actually the opposite of ACT’s classical liberal principles of opposition to unchosen obligations and equality of races before the law.
   • Te Reo Putake 7.1

     13 June 2014 at 9:41 pm

     And yet, slavery, either direct or wage, is the actual expression of the libertarian philosophy. It’s like the philosophy is a hypocritical fig leaf for economic evil. Weird that, eh?
     • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1

       13 June 2014 at 10:31 pm

       +1

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