workers’ rights

A solution to the Novopay fiasco

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:44 am, November 30th, 2012 - 33 comments

I have a suggestion.

Gender, politics & NZ LP conference 2012

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:38 am, November 22nd, 2012 - 140 comments

The Labour Party are giving serious attention to the unacceptable gender inequalities in MP numbers and in pay.  The Greens are leading in tackling the underlying masculine framework of politics and employment, and, along with Mana, unpaid work.

NRT: Absolute insanity

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:04 pm, November 16th, 2012 - 36 comments

No Right Turn on Novopay and the sacking of payroll staff.

Jobs and wages

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 7:58 am, November 13th, 2012 - 9 comments

While Audrey Young was giving the Key cabinet a glowing report card yesterday as they lurch from crisis to crisis (so many crises the Novopay scandal can’t make the front pages after 3 months of stuff ups), the economy continued to struggle.

John Key Selling (out) New Zealand

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:21 am, November 11th, 2012 - 56 comments

John Key’s selling out of NZ workers’ rights, tourism industry and identity to Hollywood, the TPP and US corporates, has reached a new low.  OIA papers reveal the extent to which Warners is dictating the NZ government’s promotion of 100% Middle-earth.

High trust

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:01 am, November 6th, 2012 - 12 comments

National’s strategy around the Pike River report is to try to get the media story over in a day. But this won’t go away. For one, there’s Key’s claim that our safety standards were up to Aussie’s and our safety record was good. Then, there’s the larger question of the Government’s whole neoliberal approach that leads to such disasters.

Kate Wilkinson resigns portfolio

Written By: karol - Date published: 4:00 pm, November 5th, 2012 - 184 comments

Breaking news: Kate Wilkinson has resigned her portfolio due to the Pike River Mine report.  Updates: News reports.  Damning official report: cold comfort for the families of the victims. Video of John Key’s press conference today.  International news coverage. Video of Shearer’s response (7 mins)

Failing on jobs? Attack the workers

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:44 am, October 31st, 2012 - 62 comments

National are economic failures. Unemployment is up two thirds under their watch and still rising. Household incomes are falling behind inflation. Manufacturing firms are closing up and making workers redundant. People are fleeing to Aussie in record numbers looking for jobs and decent wages So, what’s Key’s solution? Drive down wages by attacking workers’ right to organise.

Shifting ground: PPL

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:55 am, October 24th, 2012 - 27 comments

The government is vulnerable around Sue Moroney’s Paid Parental Leave Bill.  The Nats don’t want it to pass, but they risk losing support from women.  A government veto of an entire Bill is on experimental ground, and Bill English has shifted his reasons for not supporting the Bill. Updates: BusinessNZ submission

Adventures in the slave trade

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:50 am, October 22nd, 2012 - 74 comments

Slavery was abolished in the 19^th century, wasn’t it? From wage-slavery to human-trafficking, modern day forms of slavery have many faces, all in the interests of profits for the few.  What are these different faces, and what impact do they have on the lives of ordinary people?

Backwards to the future?

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:30 am, October 20th, 2012 - 50 comments

Labour Day celebrates, what was at the time, a cutting edge victory for working people – the 8 hour working day.  But the struggles continue for men and women. Now is not the time to be going backwards on issues that impact on workers, people struggling on low incomes, or beneficiaries. Updated.

Children of Men: money or our lives

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:30 am, October 18th, 2012 - 28 comments

Paid Parental Leave, Charter schools, compulsory early childhood education for beneficiaries: for NAct it’s all about money, and they use ‘shonky’ figures to justify their ‘shonkey’ policies and vetos.  This is ostrich and patriarchal behaviour, ignoring the evidence of the wider benefits to communities and society of good quality child care, education and Paid Parental Leave.

Time for change

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:02 am, October 12th, 2012 - 19 comments

Unions, businesses, and political parties will come together today to form a united front on the need for change to save manufacturing in New Zealand. If National want to stand isolated against the new consensus, that’s their problem.

Nats give the middle finger to Kiwi workers

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:41 pm, October 9th, 2012 - 60 comments

When foreign companies want hand outs, John Key says ‘ how much?’ But there’s no such concern for Kiwi workers.
Young people need work – National gives them a pay cut.
40,0000 manufacturing jobs lost – Key turns a blind eye.

Hollywood Rules

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:10 am, October 8th, 2012 - 76 comments

In another slippery John Key u-turn, after his mission to Hollywood ‘sweeteners’ are now on the table. Key is bending over to let US-based conglomerates extend their dominance in NZ, in support of their own interests and values.