wages

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Meet the wharfies and their families

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, January 15th, 2012 - 157 comments

The Port of Auckland and its National Party allies would have you believe that the stevedores are monsters for not be willing to accept a 20% pay cut so that POA can try to undercut Port of Tauranga (where’s the ‘national interest’ in that, again?). But, let’s hear from these workers, and their families, as they struggle to protect their livelihood.

Stick a fork in Port management, they’re done

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, January 13th, 2012 - 264 comments

A leaked Ports of Auckland strategy document shows their goal is to reduce the stevedores’ wages by 20%. They were planning to manufacture a crisis even before the stevedores’ collective expired. They’ve been rumbled breaking the law by not bargaining in good faith. Their political support will now evaporate. They should cut their losses, and a deal with the workers, now.

Ports of Auckland wage numbers

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 pm, January 11th, 2012 - 137 comments

There has been some interesting material floating around in comments and on facebook about the Ports of Auckland waterside disputing workers wages. Looks like we are starting to get some more information outside of the right wing nut job sites. Ultimately the information has to be provided by the Ports of Auckland because they are the only organisation that holds the wages data across employees. But the figures provided by the P0A (the 91k)  include overtime payments, shift payments, superannuation subsidies, medical insurance subsidies and hardly constitute a normal wage that the employee would see..

Workers beat the Grinch

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, December 23rd, 2011 - 22 comments

In a heart-warming Christmas story, 111 workers have stood strong and faced down Canterbury Meat Packers, which locked them out for2 months to extort a 20% wage cut and make them work harder for less money. It’s not a total victory, there will be small pay cuts, but they won improved conditions and they’re back at work. United, workers win.

NoRightTurn – Catch-22

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, November 23rd, 2011 - 1 comment

The Nats won’t give employees greater access to pay information  to detect gender pay disparities, saying employees suspecting gender discrimination should a labour inspector to find the evidence. When 261 workers did just that the govt said it wouldn’t look for evidence of discrimination without evidence there was discrimination.

Why the Nats Youth Rate is just plain bollocks

Written By: - Date published: 2:03 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 20 comments

Labour candidate for Northcote Paula Gillon has submitted us a post on National’s proposed starting Youth Rate that appears to be ready for peer-review – with academic references and everything.

The Qantas lockout

Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, October 30th, 2011 - 127 comments

There’s a lot going on with the Qantas lockout that isn’t being reported in our media.

This guest post from a reader who’s an aviation industry expert gives the dispute some context.

Nats want to cut wages

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, October 28th, 2011 - 25 comments

The Nats want to extend the new entrants wage from 200hrs/3 months to 6 months. Won’t create jobs. Most businesses don’t bother with the new entrants wage anyway. word is, though, that the NE wage is a red herring. The guts of the policy will be a broad-spectrum on the rights of workers to organise and bargain designed to drive down wages

The Right’s crocodile tears for higher pay

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, October 20th, 2011 - 31 comments

It’s disappointing to see the Dom joining with the Right’s mouthpieces in attacking Labour’s work and wages policy. The editorial says of course “something” must be done about low and inequitable wages but opposes introducing a system modeled on the one that delivers high wages in Australia. Meanwhile bosses are putting the screws on to cut workers’ pay.

No pay rises under Nats

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 am, October 19th, 2011 - 81 comments

St. Augustine said “Lord, give me chastity, but not yet”. Was reminded of that reading the Tories’ reaction to Labour’s work and wages policy. Tories say they want you to have higher wages. But not yet. It’s always later. Once you’ve earned it. In the ‘brighter future’. And they’ll scream blue murder any time you demand what you deserve today.

Time to take back what’s ours

Written By: - Date published: 6:16 am, October 18th, 2011 - 117 comments

update: Labour’s policy is here. Looks good. $15 minimum wage. Mondayisation of holidays. Industry standards to stop bad employers undercutting ones that pay fair wages. Good for workers. Good for good bosses. It’s a lot like the system the Aussies have. You know, the people whose wages we’re meant to be catching up with. The Tories are whinging. Like they do whenever anyone fights for higher wages

A plan to fix the pay problem?

Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, October 16th, 2011 - 90 comments

Word around the traps is Labour is working on a significant new wage policy. Good – like nearly every other deregulated market the labour market has been failing Kiwis for more than twenty years. It’s time to bring some balance back into the system. Let’s just hope Labour has the guts to make a proper job of it.

Wheelers: A typical working class tale…

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, October 16th, 2011 - 6 comments

Over at Wheelers corner in the Manwatu there is this rather classic post about a conversation overheard in a cafe. It really does stand on its own as a tombstone to a departing MP.

Election flyers: Wage drop

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, October 11th, 2011 - 21 comments

Can we afford 3 more years of falling real wages under Key?

Losing the class war

Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, October 7th, 2011 - 73 comments

The median (‘typical’) Kiwi income has fallen 6% under National after inflation. It’s worse if you’re Maori – 16%. And if you’re PI? 21%. That’s more than a hundred dollars a week. It’s a disgrace. In fact, ordinary people’s incomes have shrunk faster than the economy under National. Their policies have driven more of what’s left to the rich.

None so blind

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, October 7th, 2011 - 81 comments

National’s economic credibility was shot to pieces last week when Fitch and Standard & Poor’s gave them ‘not achieved’ marks. Less than a quarter of the OECD has been downgraded. New Zealand is one of them. The Nats won’t admit there’s a problem. When the statistics are laid in front of them, they say they’re wrong. In the Nats’ war with reality, we’re the victims.

Sleepover Bill in House tonight

Written By: - Date published: 4:10 pm, September 27th, 2011 - 48 comments

The Jackal: Time for a Tax Revamp

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, September 14th, 2011 - 64 comments

The other day, Irish covered the odious comments from liquidator/columnist Damien Grant calling unskilled people ‘commodities’. That was in the context of a pretty flimsy attack on Gareth Morgan and Susan Guthrie’s ‘Big Kahuna’ tax plan. Yesterday, Morgan and Guthrie responded to Grant’s attacks. The Jackal says Morgan and Guthrie have it right.

National Brain Drain

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, September 12th, 2011 - 47 comments

National promised to close the wage gap with Australia, and stop the flow of people across the ditch. Instead they’ve not just massively increased the wage gap and the number of people fleeing the country, they’re now forcing our best and brightest out.

The incredible generosity of IHC workers

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, September 8th, 2011 - 8 comments

IHC workers won a lengthy court battle to have the work they do overnight (so-called ‘sleepover’ shifts) recognised as work worthy of the minimum wage. The $300m in backpay they were due would have bankrupted IHC. The government, so keen to bailout corporate mates, refused to help. Now, the workers have given us, taxpayers, a $200m break on their debt.

Those who don’t know history…

Written By: - Date published: 9:54 pm, September 6th, 2011 - 7 comments

Robert Reich writes about the impact of growing inequality in the United States. He has a graphic that shows the effects over the past hundred years. As the US and Europe  come closer to their Niagara fall, the logic is compelling. Edmund Burke’s saying that those who don’t know their history are destined to repeat it comes to mind.

NRT: The effects of NeoLiberalism

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, September 6th, 2011 - 15 comments

The New York Times has a graphic comparing the outcomes of economic policy in the US, specifically comparing the broadly social democratic policies prevalent between 1847 and 1979, and the NeoLiberal policies since 1980. The differences are astounding.

In praise of collective bargaining

Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, August 29th, 2011 - 75 comments

One of the lies at the heart of the Nats’ approach to industrial relations is that negotiating directly with the employer “empowers” the individual worker and allows them to get better wages and conditions.  The facts prove otherwise.

Q+A interview – Key still lying

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, August 15th, 2011 - 61 comments

A better than usual interview of John Key by Guyon Espiner on Sundays Q+A.  On the plus side Espiner was raising some serious issues. On the minus he let Key get away with his usual lies and evasions.

Wealth creators or life-blood suckers?

Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, August 8th, 2011 - 38 comments

Study proves that our ‘wealth creators’ are actually bad managers. We have the natural resources. Got the skilled workforce. We’re held back by the capitalist elite. Not interested in capital investment and paying better wages. They’re just rentiers out to extract quick profits: a formula of low wages, tax cuts, and untaxed capital gains. Parasites.

Reaction to Labour tax package

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, July 15th, 2011 - 179 comments

The media have provided us with five people examples of people who will be affected in different ways by Labour’s tax package. Ordinary families win big and they know it. The vested interests moan and reveal the pure greed that underlies their worldview. Frankly, I think Labour will win support due to both who supports and who opposes its tax policy.

Sexist dinosaur Nats

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, June 27th, 2011 - 59 comments

Employers and Manufacturers Association head Alasdair Thompson’s sexist outbursts have drawn near universal condemnation, and are likely to cost him his job.  But while we’re about the business of punishing sexist dinosaurs, we should set our sights a little higher than Thompson.

If it quacks like a sexist duck…

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, June 23rd, 2011 - 126 comments

Sure Alisdair Thompson’s comments today were sexist.

But they were also so dumb it’s hard to be offended.

Queen of Thorns explains

The Magic Market

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, June 20th, 2011 - 64 comments

Low-paid, crappy job? It’s obviously your fault, according to the Right. You mustn’t have enough qualifications, or the correct ones. The good jobs are out there, they’re just hiding. Or, if they’re not, you can weave one from thin air. But, even if this free market magic were real, what’s the end point? The crap jobs still need to be filled.

Nats to slash wages

Written By: - Date published: 6:38 pm, June 16th, 2011 - 155 comments

Patrick Gower has revealed the Nats are poised to announce a policy to reintroduce the youth minimum wage at a rate of about $10 an hour, and potentially make it apply to people in their 20s. Outrageous and a breach of human rights. You should get paid for the work you do. Not your gender. Not your ethnicity. Not your sexuality. Not your age.

Back to High School for English

Written By: - Date published: 6:20 am, June 15th, 2011 - 86 comments

My jaw dropped when I heard this listening to Question Time yesterday. Mallard: “Does he understand that real average wages go up when high-income earners get massive tax cuts-$1,000 a week, in his case-and low-income workers lose their jobs?” English: “No, I do not understand that, because it is not true.” Can’t English do simple maths?