workers’ rights

Vulnerable Children: The big picture

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:29 am, September 18th, 2013 - 43 comments

Yesterday Paula Bennett introduced the First Reading of the Vulnerable Children Bill.  Nat MPs separated child abuse from issues of poverty and income inequality.  Opposition MPs from Mana, Labour & The Greens called the Nats on it, arguing for the bigger picture.

Housing: the options, the new left narrative?

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:07 am, September 13th, 2013 - 75 comments

The response to Metiria Turei’s sttements about affordable housing on The Vote, raises questions about political narratives are told to the general electorate? The Greens, Mana and Cunliffe have stressed their “vision“.  How to tell it so it reaches the hearts of New Zealanders?

The bankster memorandum

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:41 am, September 9th, 2013 - 160 comments

John Key honed his skills as a speculative banker. As PM, this casino capitalist has undermined democracy, & promoted international corporate interests, while beneficiaries & workers are brutalised, inequalities enhanced and NZ’s economy & sovereignty damaged.  Does one Labour leader contender have his number measure?

UBI. (Universal Basic Income).

Written By: KJT - Date published: 11:58 am, September 5th, 2013 - 232 comments

The concept of UBI has a long history in New Zealand.

Of course, we already have a UBI for those over 65.  Which has been extremely successful at eliminating poverty amongst the elderly, at a very moderate cost by international standards.

‘Mind the Gap” – the way forward

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:06 am, August 30th, 2013 - 77 comments

TV3’s Mind the Gap documentary (Bryan Bruce) is very important because it put before the general population the damaging impact of income inequality in a clear and and straightforward manner.  The solutions?  Ideas from academics, journalists, campaigners & opposition politicians/parties.

The momentum of expectation….

Written By: karol - Date published: 12:20 pm, August 26th, 2013 - 115 comments

[Update] Surrounded by women, especially Pasifika women, Cunliffe announced he is standing for Labour leader. Iain Lees Galloway and Nanaia Mahuta signed the nomination forms.  Report from New Lynn:  photos added – Cunliffe answers some questions.

Statistic of the Day

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 10:06 am, August 15th, 2013 - 19 comments

Percent of New Zealanders with not enough money to make ends meet: 15

Percent unemployed: 6.4

“The problem gambler”: Key & SkyCity

Written By: karol - Date published: 12:05 pm, August 8th, 2013 - 10 comments

Brand Key – CEO of NZ Inc, speculator, gambler, spinmeister – epitomises the “neoliberal revolution”.  Gambling & other consumerist addictions are blamed on the individual. A court case against SkyCity shows the contradictory links between gambling, smoking, corporate influence & “insatiable consumerism.”

UK: Zero Hour Contracts

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 8:56 am, August 7th, 2013 - 9 comments

There’s a Guardian-led campaign in the UK at the moment over “zero-hour contracts” – contracts that guarantee an employee no hours, and often leave them on-call at a moment’s notice to fulfil the employers whim. They’re common here, but I don’t expect a major newspaper to run with it…

Fool’s gold

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 8:35 am, August 2nd, 2013 - 12 comments

In its submission on the Pike River bill, New Zealand’s second largest mining company has told Select Committee that workers can’t be trusted to look after their own health and safety, and everything’s just fine the way it is.

But at the same time one of their mines has been partially closed due to a safety hazard.

How National plans to smash collective agreements

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 12:00 pm, July 26th, 2013 - 43 comments

Over the coming weeks I’m going to go through each of National’s changes to employment law to show how they will make our workplaces less fair and reduce Kiwis’ pay.

The first is the change allowing the boss to refuse to negotiate a collective agreement.

A conservative view on low wages.

Written By: KJT - Date published: 11:33 am, July 25th, 2013 - 37 comments

It is a national evil that any class of Her Majesty’s subjects should receive less than a living wage in return for their utmost exertions… where you have what we call sweated trades, you have no organisation, no parity of bargaining, the good employer is undercut by the bad and the bad by the worst; …

Labour stands by 6A

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:12 am, July 25th, 2013 - 97 comments

The Employment Relations Act Part 6A ensures that jobs are transferred to a new contractor, on the same terms, if a firm is restructured. Naturally the Nats plan to abolish it.

Fairness at work and a living wage

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:57 am, July 21st, 2013 - 8 comments

The Government has been warned that the Employment Relations Amendment Bill is likely to breach ILO conventions.  Bridges has responded by saying that the breaches “may not be significant”.  Why is it that the Government gets all hard core when dealing with beneficiaries legal obligations but is so casual when it deals with its own obligations?

Pike River Compensation must be paid

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:36 pm, July 7th, 2013 - 33 comments

Judge Jane Farish has ordered Pike River to pay $110,000 compensation for each of the families who suffered the loss of a loved one.  But the various parties are not committing as yet to making sure that the compensation is paid.  Justice demands that every cent is paid.