workers’ rights

Categories under workers’ rights

health and safety (156)
unemployment (251)
Unions (427)
wages (502)

Unemployment up

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:27 pm, February 4th, 2015 - 40 comments

We need a much better analysis of what kinds of jobs and conditions are out there in NZ, crude figures are not telling us enough.

The Northland by-election

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 2:30 pm, January 30th, 2015 - 163 comments

A by-election is imminent – so how does Labour win in a safe National seat?

Labour’s plan vs National’s plan

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:34 pm, January 28th, 2015 - 43 comments

The choice is clear.

Daniel Rockhouse: “No one was there to meet them…”

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:19 am, January 1st, 2015 - 21 comments

A July 2013 post by Helen Kelly was about Daniel Rockhouse who survived the Pike River Mine disaster, and then rescued Russell Smith. Yesterday Daniel Rockhouse got a bravery award. Read Kelly’s 2013 post here.

Guest Post: from a Fairy Godmother

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 6:50 pm, December 29th, 2014 - 36 comments

How can young unemployed people get help in finding a job, when they have been trying to get one for some time?

One word away from needing food parcels

Written By: tracey - Date published: 1:05 pm, December 24th, 2014 - 71 comments

The smug middle class National voter seems oblivious to how close they are to financial hardship…

Europe & the anti-austerity left

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:42 am, December 24th, 2014 - 28 comments

The UK Green Party is gaining in popularity as many people turn away from the 3 established parties. The radical left Syriza party in Greece could possibly gain power in their election – what powerful international right wing forces would then be unleashed?

Thumbs down for Joyce’s ministerial domain

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:23 am, December 22nd, 2014 - 33 comments

A new report shows that Steven Joyce’s MBIE fiefdom is failing miserably. Meanwhile the MBIE is under fire for the major cost blow out of the Sky City Casino deal – another deal with Joyce’s imprints all over it.

Jobs That Count

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 12:00 pm, December 17th, 2014 - 20 comments

The Meatworkers Union today launch a campaign for Jobs That Count – to try to get better conditions for these marginalised workers who face it all – seasonal work, dangerous jobs, casual and zero hours contracts and anti-union pressure.

‘Ditch the [misleading] rhetoric’

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:39 am, December 12th, 2014 - 16 comments

On RNZ this morning PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff criticised Bill English for his misleading rhetoric about rises in “average wages”. NZ’s income and wealth gaps have increased in recent decades. The lowest income remain low; the top earners get big salary increases.

Dodging the big decisions

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 9:03 am, December 10th, 2014 - 18 comments

Colin James has an excellent piece on the housing market. Simon Collins has a piece on the implications on young renters. Meanwhile, a number of other big problems are being ignored by National as well.

The Roll of Shame.

Written By: KJT - Date published: 8:00 am, December 10th, 2014 - 41 comments

Another day of shame for the New Zealand Government. as they march us in lockstep…….

Towards the sort of police State we used to fight.

Local Bodies: Government Responsible for Invercargill Poverty

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:00 am, December 2nd, 2014 - 6 comments

The second annual Child Poverty Monitor was released today. bsprout on Local Bodies on poverty and inequalities in Invercargill, “provides a good snapshot of New Zealand society”.

Exploited workers need union protection

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 11:20 am, December 1st, 2014 - 30 comments

Another example of a bad employer unfairly docking a worker’s pay. But this worker was a union member…

Andrew Little: the future of work

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:03 am, December 1st, 2014 - 98 comments

The text of a speech delivered by Andrew Little this morning

Tip of the iceberg

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:39 am, November 23rd, 2014 - 99 comments

Looks like exploiting petrol station workers by docking their pay for circumstances beyond their control was just the tip of the iceberg of this kind of behaviour.

’81: knowing your position

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:21 am, November 22nd, 2014 - 103 comments

Andrea Vance has written an informative article about Andrew Little. In it, among other things, we learn that Little remembers exactly which side he was on during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour.

Labour and the unions

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:26 am, November 19th, 2014 - 109 comments

In which I ponder my 2c on the leadership race, and the path ahead for Labour and the unions…

The casualisation of work

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:00 am, November 14th, 2014 - 147 comments

Zero hour contracts, where an employee’s work hours are determined solely at the whim of the employer, are becoming increasingly common. The implications for the fight against poverty are dire.

Lessons from the ’30s and 40’s: culture and the left

Written By: karol - Date published: 2:05 pm, November 10th, 2014 - 70 comments

We often look to the first Labour Government for core left wing values, & a political way forward. As well as massively restructuring of the NZ economy, work, welfare & housing, that Government aimed to restructure NZ culture & to combat capitalist-dominated popular culture.

“Marching in the streets”

Written By: karol - Date published: 5:15 pm, November 8th, 2014 - 129 comments

Thousands of people protested and marched around the country against the secret and anti-democratic TPPA negotiations. Reports & pics. Updated

NRT: Betrayal at Pike River

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:09 pm, November 6th, 2014 - 80 comments

I/S at No Right Turn on the Pike River decision.

EEO Commissioner blasts employment law changes

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:33 am, November 1st, 2014 - 43 comments

Workers have lost the statutory right to meal breaks and smokos. Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) Commissioner Jackie Blue – who happens to be an ex Nat MP – pulls no punches in setting out the consequences.

Dairy Workers back Andrew Little

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:00 am, October 29th, 2014 - 35 comments

The Dairy Workers Union has officially endorsed Andrew Little’s bid for the Labour leadership.

Distractify

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 7:07 am, October 29th, 2014 - 28 comments

While shepherding through horrendous housing changes and removing workers’ rights – and hiding from Dirty Politics – John Key needs a big “look over there!”

Emmerson – The bloodsucker’s treat

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:51 am, October 28th, 2014 - 6 comments

emmerson-employment

National losing the middle?

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 8:23 am, October 28th, 2014 - 133 comments

In its first term, National was very careful to be incremental – Key hung to the middle, chipping away carefully at workers’ rights without doing anything dramatic. Having gained the public’s trust by continuing (outside the House) to be a clown they’d like to have a drink with, they went with one big hit with […]

Save our tea breaks

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:49 am, October 27th, 2014 - 60 comments

Labour hopes to collect signatures for this petition over Labour Weekend…

Labour day – thank a unionist

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:00 am, October 27th, 2014 - 72 comments

Today is a day to celebrate the rights hard won by workers and unions, past and present. There’s a reason it’s called “Labour Day” not “Free Market Day”…

Collective bargaining? Yeah right …

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:30 am, October 26th, 2014 - 11 comments

JAmooches continues their analysis of the effects of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. Today the focus is on the provisions that negate the requirement for the parties to act in good faith bargaining, in particular for being able to conclude collective agreements.

Auckland Labour Day Event

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:05 pm, October 24th, 2014 - 14 comments

The Mangere Labour Electorate Committee is planning an interesting event on Labour Day in Auckland to commemorate the contributions of three different people to the Labour movement.