workers’ rights

Categories under workers’ rights

The spirit of ’35

Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, June 24th, 2014 - 50 comments

Jan Logie’s post: “Work  and Income – stories from hidden people” is a must read:  stories from a divisive society, under a callous government that benefits the few at the expense of too many. We can do much better than that.  Vote for change this election!

Stand up – for an inclusive, caring & sharing NZ

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, June 19th, 2014 - 57 comments

Stand up: fight back: We know what we are up against. We’ve seen the depth of the negative, right wing campaigning.  NZ wants and needs better politics, and a more inclusive society.

Poto Williams – Forestry Safety

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 14th, 2014 - 23 comments

A guest post from Poto Williams, Labour’s MP for Christchurch East concerning her recent attendance at the Independent Forestry Safety Review consultation and her thoughts on what is happening in relation to safety in the sector.

 

CTU: Why is the Reserve Bank happy with low wage growth?

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, June 13th, 2014 - 124 comments

There seems little prospect for better wage growth if the Reserve Bank is to be believed. There is a high risk that growth peaks this year without most people seeing any sign of it in their pay packets. People are being forced into the job market because stagnant wages mean more people have to work for the needs of their households. At the same time harsher rules on social welfare benefits and the low level of those benefits force people into a job market where as the bank says, there is ‘elevated unemployment’.

So what happened here? PPL vote

Written By: - Date published: 10:38 pm, May 28th, 2014 - 32 comments

There has been some questioning of the vote for the second reading of the Paid Parental Bill tonight. Sue Moroney claims the Maori Party were planning to vote for it.  The Nat whip cast the Maori Party votes AGAINST the Bill. [Update: One News; NZ Herald]

Labour please take note.

Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, May 26th, 2014 - 71 comments

The more that National publicly adopts “left wing” “socialist”  party policies, such as “free” medical care for children under 13, keeping the retirement age as it is, and balancing the budget, the more they rise in the polls.

Snapshot of a nation: inequality

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 24th, 2014 - 30 comments

Al Jazeera reports on damaging inequalities in Spain under “austerity”.  High unemployment; 30% of children  in poverty, political corruption, tax evasion & a focus on football.  Suggested ways to decrease income & wealth inequalities in NZ. Update: TV3’s The Nation: inequality & Wilson & Pickett interview.

Laissez faire capitalists think that India’s labour laws are too protective

Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, May 20th, 2014 - 53 comments

India has a new leader following recent elections.  Narendra Modi has some strange ideas on Labour laws unfortunately and thinks that Indian workers have too much protection.

All Down to Dunne

Written By: - Date published: 7:31 pm, May 15th, 2014 - 37 comments

In the next few hours Peter Dunne could stand by his word and help Kiwi Families.

The question is, will he do it?

Update: No he didn’t. So much for his principles.

John Key’s bullshit about rising inequality

Written By: - Date published: 2:41 pm, May 14th, 2014 - 86 comments

In Question Time today.  John Key has rejected evidence such census statistics, as reported on RNZ, that the inequality gap in Auckland is growing. He crowed about his government’s record & launched diversionary attacks on the opposition. Update: Question One video; Transcript links – Transcripts & other links updated. #realbudgetnumbers

Green Party pre-budget policy launch

Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, May 13th, 2014 - 10 comments

The Green Party will do a pre-budget economic policy launch: livestream here 11am 11.30am-12.30pm.They are pretty adept at interacting with Kiwis via social media, and on TV. They are grounded in grassroots activities, that link to their policies aimed at making life better for low-to-middle income Kiwis. [Updated#1: got start time wrong: #2 policy here – Green Investment Bank; news reports]

Polity: Economic plans compared

Written By: - Date published: 7:08 pm, May 12th, 2014 - 9 comments

Labour looks at increasing jobs, wage growth, and having the government run surpluses. National looks at a 1% wage growth after inflation after years of falling real wages and no drop in real unemployment as being a sign of a healthy economy? Yeah right. Most of the growth in the economy is simply passing wage-earners by. It is going elsewhere. That is National’s legacy: strong growth for the fortunate few, lagging and insipid growth for everyone else

NRT: “A wish, a target, and a dream”

Written By: - Date published: 6:47 pm, May 12th, 2014 - 58 comments

No Right Turn shows that John Key has no real understanding of the economic and political history of this country. Probably because the last time another economic illiterate from National said that the prospect of reducing unemployment in NZ to below 6% was “a hoax”, John Key wasn’t here. He probably heard it from that illiterate, who once again is our minister of finance. Unemployment under Labour was as low as 3.3%

NRT: All about distribution

Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, April 30th, 2014 - 29 comments

Distribution – who pays, who gets what – is one of (or perhaps the) key question in politics. It is the big problem with Labour’s new monetary policy. We’ve all seen how the theoretical ability to compensate the losers of policies which produce net gains tends to be forgotten in practice. Which means that the acceptability of the policy is going to depend crucially on whether Labour follows through on this promise.

Second class citizens. Beggars belief

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, April 29th, 2014 - 58 comments

Out of sight-out of mind seems to be the logic of Auckland City’s bylaw to come into effect next month, to outlaw begging on the streets. The clear message from Native Affairs report, ‘Walk on By‘, last night, is that the bylaw is the result of pressure from the comfortable middle classes. [Update: bylaw only says it’s an offence where begging causes a nuisance]

Remembering forestry workers

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, April 28th, 2014 - 15 comments

The deaths of forestry workers are outrageous & sad.  Helen Kelly has campaigned extremely well for change.  An international day of remembrance yesterday, a procession on parliament today – a belated govt Bill that is an improvement, but does not go far enough.

The strength of the left: working together…

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, April 27th, 2014 - 41 comments

The strength of the left: working together…. from the flaxroots. I agree with the parts of David Cunliffe’s speech to Young Labour where he talks of the importance of working together and mobilising the grass roots left in order to win the election. He is speaking about the Labour Party, but his words are equally true for the wider left

National’s cows coming home to roost

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, April 26th, 2014 - 79 comments

As interest rates crank up in debt-laden NZ, we’re about to reap the consequences of 5 years of do-nothing, anti-worker, National government.

Stepping up: new energy from Kelvin Davis

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, April 23rd, 2014 - 115 comments

Labour has swung positively behind the change from Jones to Kelvin Davis.  In his interview on TV3’s First Line this morning, Davis was confident, down-to-earth, & energetic. Hone Harawira & Davis are strong candidates for Te Tai Tokerau and those struggling on low incomes. Both would be assets for a Labour-led government.

An Easter message: greed is not good

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, April 21st, 2014 - 14 comments

Greed used to be regarded as a major sin.  Now it is often seen as either trivial, or, in Gordon Gekko’s words, “Greed is good”.  Greed has become a religion, focused on the sacred “economy” and its “market” of (allegedly) “invisible hands”. Greed fuels inequality and undermines democracy. Democracy needs a more critical public sphere and media.

Does the National Party really not understand how unions work?

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, April 14th, 2014 - 64 comments

This article in the Herald gave me a giggle today. It refers to a cash payment being made to Parliamentary Services staff who are part of their workplace collective employment agreement. Similar cash payments have been denounced by National in the past – when it happened under Labour – and are being denounced by Don […]

The image is the story …

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, April 7th, 2014 - 15 comments

Images from today’s mainstream media news: tales of class, crime, drugs, disasters…… and jet-setting beneficiaries.

Bugger the polls!

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, April 6th, 2014 - 83 comments

Auckland Against Poverty protest the Young Nats Ball and Paula Bennett’s war on the poor.  Steven Joyce is cynical about the polls. A Stuff poll shows everything that is wrong with the media’s poll beat ups.

Rogernomics, income inequality & gender politics

Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, April 3rd, 2014 - 22 comments

All of us, in our diversity, can make a big impact this election year. Time to end the “neoliberal” tyranny!  Crime stats are celebrated masking the continuing impact of income & social inequalities. Rogernomics fractured gender politics & rape crisis intiatives.

Domestic violence is a work issue

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, April 1st, 2014 - 88 comments

We can now put a dollar figure – a conservative, probably-underestimated figure – on the cost of domestic violence to New Zealand business. That’s due to a report commissed by the Public Service Association, released yesterday in conjunction with a Member’s Bill from Green MP Jan Logie which will change our law to protect victims […]

Highlighting the income gap

Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, March 31st, 2014 - 84 comments

A high proportion of Kiwis know that there is too big an income inequality gap. Economic power & media discourse too often work to maintain such inequalities.  How can knowledge and understandings be changed via the media, social media and creative political action?

Walking the talk – protests Sat 29 March

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, March 28th, 2014 - 63 comments

Tomorrow Today: Support the important Day of Action across NZ against the TPPA – the TPPA is anti-democratic, pro-corporate & will make life harder for ordinary Kiwis; Support the NZEI demonstrations in Auckland & Wellington, for a living wage, for an excellent public education system, against poverty that undermines education. [Update: photos & reports]

30th anniversary of the Trades Hall bombing

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, March 27th, 2014 - 24 comments

On this day in 1984 a suitcase bomb was left in the Wellington Trades Hall. At 5:19 it detonated, killing Ernie Abbott, the caretaker. The bomber has never been caught, despite a massive police investigation and a reward of $50,000 offered for information. We don’t even really know why the Trades Hall was targeted – […]

Corporates for TPP

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 22nd, 2014 - 47 comments

Big (US) Pharma has been the leading lobbyist that has shaped the TPP, followed by corporates in the following industries; Hollywood, automobile, textiles, dairy. This makes the TPP a major threat to the interests and well-being of Kiwis. Good reasons to take part in next Saturday’s Day Of Action (29 March 1pm) across NZ.

Russel Norman on consumerism & happiness

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, March 16th, 2014 - 38 comments

An interview provides an insight into Russel Norman’s working class background & frugal, anti-consumerist outlook. Combines well with Metiria Turei’s working class background –  which has motivated her campaign against child poverty and inequality.

Tony Benn 1925-2014

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 pm, March 14th, 2014 - 34 comments

Sorry to hear that Tony Benn has died today, at age 88.  He came from an aristocratic background, but became part of the UK Labour Party’s “radical” left.  He spoke for Unions, people power and democratic process, and against neoliberalism. [Update – Tony Benn quotes]