workers’ rights

Categories under workers’ rights

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

Caption Contest

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 1:29 pm, February 27th, 2013 - 40 comments

Derisory minimum wage

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:42 am, February 27th, 2013 - 90 comments

The minimum wage should be at least $15 per hour. A living wage is estimated at $18.40 per hour. So what have the Nats done? Raised the minimum wage by $0.25 per hour to $13.75. It’s a derisory increase. Even their own supporters think so.

Workers’ rights: too many steps behind

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 10:30 am, February 25th, 2013 - 30 comments

I’m a big fan of the Living Wage campaign. And I really liked the Herald’s series covering the launch week. But part of that coverage highlighted a big problem that I don’t think the Living Wage campaign will reach.

What killed Ken Callow?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:25 pm, February 18th, 2013 - 13 comments

The CTU wants to raise awareness of the effect of market pressures on working conditions and workplace safety. What killed Ken Callow?

“There is Power in a Union”

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:16 am, February 18th, 2013 - 80 comments

Unions have been under concerted attack for several decades. Though weakened, they still produce results for workers. NZ Teachers’ Unions act on sound research, aiming to provide a quality and fair education system for all Kiwis. Global federations are campaigning against anti-worker corporates, like DHL.

The elite’s excuse for opposing a living wage

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 11:52 am, February 15th, 2013 - 66 comments

Don’t you love hearing the rich say the working poor can’t have more pay? The faux concern that higher wages cost jobs from the same people who support huge executive pay packets and tax cuts? If you really believed higher wages meant fewer jobs, you would cut the CEO’s pay in half, not dick around over a few dollars an hour for real workers.

Irony overload as English calls some bosses greedy

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:20 am, February 15th, 2013 - 22 comments

Irony meters everywhere pegged their meters as Bill English accused some bosses of being “greedy”, and not paying their staff enough. Hey Double Dipton – those greedy bosses? – they’re just following your example…

Espiner on wages

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 7:22 am, February 15th, 2013 - 141 comments

For those of you who’ve missed it Colin Espiner is back on the NZ interwebz with a new Stuff blog, the (rather earthily titled) Bull-Dust. Colin was a bit of a pioneer of journalist blogging in New Zealand. He was, I believe, the first Gallery journalist to run a proper blog and certainly the first to get in amongst it in the comments sections.

$18.40 an hour to live, not just exist

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:01 am, February 14th, 2013 - 89 comments

The Living Wage Coalition has released the results of their research, calculating that a wage of $18.40 is needed for workers and their families to have a decent life and participate in society. About 40% of workers currently earn less. The pressure is now on bosses of businesses and public bodies to pay the living wage or explain why they deserve a decent life but their workers don’t.

Government report card: poverty, jobs, housing – FAIL!

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:34 am, February 13th, 2013 - 22 comments

The Salavation Army “State of the Nation” report is out today, and, as Metiria Turei says, it makes depressing reading. It describes a nation of increasing inequalities, with those on low incomes, and their children, being hit particularly hard.

Key Living Wage: “A matter for them”

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 5:49 pm, February 11th, 2013 - 26 comments

John Key, as expected, failed to take any sort of lead – or even fast following – on the Living Wage campaign. It’s “a matter for them” – businesses and workers – not something for a mere Prime Minister to be interested in. He thinks it’s nice if businesses pay more as they can afford it, but obviously doesn’t see higher wages as a priority.

For a living wage

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:26 am, February 11th, 2013 - 175 comments

The living wage campaign is announcing this week the results of its study into the pay that a family needs to afford the basics for a decent life in New Zealand. It’ll be around $18-$20 an hour, which is more than 40% of workers get. I look forward to the proposal receiving strong support from the parties of the Left – the Left has always said a well-paying job is better than welfare.

Community Service

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:05 am, February 9th, 2013 - 70 comments

Greenpeace activists were fined and ordered to do Community Service – for serving the global community by protesting about Climate Change & the oil industry. Others get honours like knighthoods for services that are damaging for the majority in the community. Misplaced values? [update] RNZ interview with Lucy Lawless.

Nats’ low wage economy hollowing us out

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:45 am, February 8th, 2013 - 42 comments

The Nats were elected on a promise of a high wage economy. When it became clear that they were achieving the opposite, they tried to spin a disaster into a “competitive advantage”. And so in the real world the exodus to Australia continues. Now it’s affecting even our naval capability.

Novopay going from bad to worse

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:01 am, February 7th, 2013 - 103 comments

Mr Fixit Steven Joyce has been handed the Novopay fiasco, and the first pay round under his watch is the worst yet. Teachers are currently owed almost $12 Million in missing wages. Is this a conspiracy, or just a good old fashioned cock up?

EPMU: Manufacturing Strategy Needed

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:08 am, January 30th, 2013 - 14 comments

Because the EPMU put it so well – here’s the summary of their submission to the Manufacturing Inquiry.

Building a movement: acting local, talking global

Written By: karol - Date published: 12:41 pm, January 29th, 2013 - 42 comments

The Greens, I’m in for the Future, is a promising initiative. The Greens’ focus on Auckland transport will be a great start. To end the “neoliberal” dominance, it is necessary to apply pressure from below. What can we learn from Canadian anti-“neoliberal” groups like Common Causes & Idle No More? [Updated]

Annette Sykes: a future MP?

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:30 am, January 25th, 2013 - 23 comments

Mana Party president, Annette Sykes could become an MP in the next election. The future of the Maori Party is in doubt. Hone Harawira is considering a Mana-Maori Party merger. Sykes is committed to left wing values, social justice, Maori land & water rights, and social & economic justice for Maori.

Key’s brighter future

Written By: IrishBill - Date published: 11:16 am, January 24th, 2013 - 8 comments

“I’d love to see wages drop”. Remember when John Key said that? Well now our glorious PM is getting all excited about how we can attract investment with our low wages and lack of employment protections.

You say ‘flexible labour market’, I say ‘workers’ rights’

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 9:28 am, January 24th, 2013 - 35 comments

So John Key says Hollywood likes New Zealand because of weak unions, low fringe benefit costs and the ‘flexible labour market’.

In other words they can get their wage slaves to work longer for less with fewer complaints.

Doing the numbers: benefits & (un)employment

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:14 am, January 18th, 2013 - 92 comments

Paula Bennett stated that the numbers of people on benefits had dropped over the last quarter. The figures mask the reality of Bennett’s punitive welfare reforms, and the struggles of those living on low incomes. Meanwhile unemployment is still rising. [Update: RNZ]

The unreported & off the cliff

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:58 am, January 2nd, 2013 - 12 comments

Over the last year some issues have been under-reported, some ignored: the climate/environment, subversive FBI activities, bankster rorts, decline of democracy, the need for new left & green politics. Some news has been overdramatised, some masks the real needs. And the “fiscal cliff”?

2012: “celebrity” PM – collective action

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:00 am, December 23rd, 2012 - 47 comments

Individualism & “celebrity” PM, John Key were still strong in 2012. But, there was opposition from some (often local) groups working collaboratively: Occupy, Glen Innes protesters, MUNZ, Asset Sales referendum, AAAP advocacy activism, manufacturing inquiry, NZLP democratisation, TS nest of vipers. And 2013?

Port workers show how its done

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 8:07 am, December 17th, 2012 - 22 comments

You have to respect how the Ports of Auckland workers stood staunch in the face of the bosses’ attempt to contract out their jobs, without support from the ‘leftwing’ mayor and against an expensive PR effort. They’re still getting their own back. PoAL has just been fined for employing a strikebreaker. And, in Lyttelton, wharfies have started a smart new campaign.

Hone in the House

Written By: karol - Date published: 7:30 am, December 15th, 2012 - 75 comments

Mana has established a clear identity, as shown in Hone’s adjournment speech. Based in practice and activism. For all people, especially those on low incomes. A voice for Maori, Pasifika people and children. The Maori Party’s future is in question. What’s the future for Mana and Hone?

Bad news govt: it must be recess

Written By: karol - Date published: 1:50 pm, December 13th, 2012 - 11 comments

The House went into recess yesterday. Today there is a rush of stories that are bad news for the government. Collins and the Binnie report, unsuccessful boot camps, and counter-productive anti-union and anti-worker policies. What else?

Advocacy activism in precarious times

Written By: karol - Date published: 5:31 pm, December 11th, 2012 - 25 comments

In these troubling times, it was uplifting to see the flax-roots, practical and collaborative action at the Onehunga Recession Busting rally for beneficiaries today. Volunteers in front of the WINZ office in Onehunga Mall, are giving support and assistance to those most in need.

Something rotten in the state…

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:58 am, December 11th, 2012 - 88 comments

As an outsider watching the struggles in the Labour Party unfold, I am becoming increasingly despondent about the state of Left wing politics in NZ. Right now, NZ, and those of us who party vote Green/Mana, require a strong, democratic and solidly left wing Labour Party.