A Dear Len letter

• Guest post
• 12 years ago
• Categories: Unions
• Tags: len brown, ports of auckland, supercity

Dear Len,

I know you have been doing a lot. The Auckland Plan is looking great. But I’m afraid we’re going to have to break up.

I delivered your leaflets in the rain. I erected your hoardings across Auckland. I phoned and canvassed support for you. I encouraged my friends to vote for you.

But it’s over.

Frankly, I find your protestations that you could not help the 292 sacked wharfies asking to be able to work to live and not live to work offensive. Don’t play the victim: your salary is too big.

You could have acted. The Council could have passed a motion instructing the Auckland Council CCO to instruct the Ports CCO to come to a compromise. The Port is a Council controlled organization and these entities are bound to be good employers.  Further, s65 Performance monitoring

1. A local authority that is a shareholder in a council organisation must regularly undertake performance monitoring of that organisation to evaluate its contribution to the achievement of—
   1. the local authority’s objectives for the organisation; and
   2. (if applicable) the desired results, as set out in the organisation’s statement of intent; and
   3. the overall aims and outcomes of the local authority.

If the council can monitor performance the Council can state that the Port is not meeting its requirements and instruct the board to come to a compromise. Otherwise the section is quite meaningless.

We know the legislation constrained you immensely. But you could still have acted. You made a decision that it was inappropriate to intervene. You made that decision. The legislation did not make it for you.

But even if I am wrong and you couldn’t have done anything, nothing constrained your voice. You could have called for compromise. You could have said that a liveable city means well paid work forces and the right work-life balance. You could have condemned the misinformation campaign. You could have stood up for the people, who elected you.

Your silence is exactly why the Labour party and the backing for Labour people like you are dying. You turned you back on people who turned out to support you by voting for you, by delivering your leaflets and by erection your hoardings.

You took the easy option. You chose to be silent so the right could not paint you as a unionist when you run for re-election. I don’t know about you but I’m proud to be union. I’m proud ordinary New Zealanders are able to demand better wages and conditions. I’m proud of the working week and public holidays. I’m proud that the radical notion of fairness could be included in workplace relations.

You had a choice. And your protestations you didn’t ring hollow in the ears of the 292 families you have thrown onto the scrap heap to protect brand Len.

So it’s over. You don’t know me. But I put many hours into your campaign. Have fun running for re-election without it and the efforts of those who think like I do.

Yours Sincerely,

An activist

Jimmy Reid