wages

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Nats deny women pay equity transparency

Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, May 11th, 2017 - 44 comments

As usual National proves itself to be no friend of women. They have voted the Equal Pay Amendment Bill down because they will always choose employers over people.

The case for higher wages

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, April 26th, 2017 - 31 comments

In the warm afterglow of the huge wage increase for health care workers the case for addressing NZ’s creaking low-wage economy is getting some recognition (along with the effect of immigration on wages).

Restaurant Brand Workers strike

Written By: - Date published: 5:54 pm, April 21st, 2017 - 34 comments

Restaurant Brands, the company that made $26 million last year and paid its chief executive a bonus of $1 million but cannot afford to pay its workers any more than the minimum wage, is facing industrial action tomorrow.

National’s short lived status as a supporter of pay equity

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, April 21st, 2017 - 25 comments

The day after Kristine Bartlett’s and the SFWU’s well deserved pay equity victory the Government has released for consultation draft legislation the effect of which would be to stop similar victories occurring in the future.

Why National had to settle the Pay Equity case

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, April 19th, 2017 - 45 comments

National is trying to give the impression that it settled the pay equity case out of the goodness of its heart.  The reality is that the Unions forced it to settle through gritted teeth.

Thank you health care workers

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, April 18th, 2017 - 30 comments

This is a huge victory for health care workers, and for women. It is also a huge victory for “resurgent unions”. Will it alarm the private sector? I certainly hope so!

(Kristine Bartlett, photo Herald Mark Mitchell)

Dear Izzy

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, March 15th, 2017 - 27 comments

Married couple, increase after tax $8.36 a fortnight each or $4.18 each a week!!!!! Disposable Income, 0.5971428 each a day !!!! Goes up on April 1st, how the hell did they arrive at this sum?

I find out.

The gender pay gap – grandstanding but no action

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, March 8th, 2017 - 73 comments

A new report has some really interesting findings on the gender pay gap. Paula Bennett engaged in a bit of grandstanding, but it rings completely hollow given National’s history on the issue.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Living wage rises to $20.20 an hour

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, February 21st, 2017 - 30 comments

The living wage rises, and an odd argument for abolishing the minimum wage.

Minimum wage increase doesn’t meet real costs (the CPI is broken)

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, January 25th, 2017 - 53 comments

Any increase in the minimum wage is better than nothing, but National’s increases have not kept pace with the real cost increases (notably housing) faced by low income earners. That is why we are seeing the rise of the working poor, and increases in homelessness and poverty.

The St Johns Industrial Dispute – #HealthyAmbosSaveLives

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, January 7th, 2017 - 51 comments

St Johns is one of the first organisations to use new Industrial powers brought in by the Government and is attempting to refuse to negotiate with First Union and is docking workers pay for wearing a campaign t-shirt.

Audrey Young on resurgent unions

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, November 26th, 2016 - 13 comments

Audrey Young writes on growing union numbers, strengths, and wins for their members. Excellent!

National better late than never on pay equity

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, November 26th, 2016 - 5 comments

A 2015 court decision forced National’s hand on pay equity. This week the equity working group reported back. To its credit National is accepting the recommendations, and unions are hailing a big win. But the final form of any law is not yet clear.

TPP: An epitaph for self-interested treaties done in secret

Written By: - Date published: 1:23 am, November 23rd, 2016 - 39 comments

The misogynist buffoon, under-skilled charlatan and ignorant bigot that the Americans have elected to be their constitutional monarch for the next four years appears to have effectively killed the constraint of trade agreement known as the TPP. From a freer trade advocate, avid exporter, and labour movement supporter with a touch of green :- Good riddance.

Unemployment apples and oranges

Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, November 2nd, 2016 - 27 comments

A fall in the jobless rate is superficially good news, but most of the “fall” since May is due to changes in the way the measure is calculated. Wages remain flat, though less so for union members.

A tale of Two Universities

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, September 26th, 2016 - 48 comments

A guest post by John P Egan regarding recent industrial action taken by Tertiary Education Union members

HoliPay fiasco – 1 in 3 workers robbed

Written By: - Date published: 6:51 am, September 26th, 2016 - 48 comments

Do you work irregular shifts (even only occasionally)?  Overtime?  Sometimes on Public Holidays?

Then you’re probably part of the 1 in 3 workers owed more than $2 billion lost thru incorrect calculations of holiday pay.

Thanks Steven Joyce.

Rockstar! Is it?

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, September 16th, 2016 - 181 comments

National is very proud of the latest GDP-growth figures (third highest in OECD!), but are they helping you?  And are they what they appear?

Chloe King – John Key, I am a low waged worker, and neither “lazy” nor “drug addled”

Written By: - Date published: 2:39 pm, September 9th, 2016 - 254 comments

Blogger and social activist Chloe King, one of the hundreds of thousands of low waged workers in this country was devastated by John Key’s comments suggesting that she and others were lazy and had no work ethic. This is her response.

Key: Kiwis are lazy drug users

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, September 6th, 2016 - 197 comments

John Key let the mask slip yesterday – as he said that we needed immigrant labour even for unskilled work because of the work ethic and drug use of New Zealand workers.  That’s how he sees normal Kiwis, but actually maybe they just need proper pay & conditions.

The Mayoral candidates and the living wage proposal

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, September 4th, 2016 - 29 comments

I attended the Living Wage People’s assembly this week in St Matthews in the City.  The idea behind the meeting was to get Mayoral and Waitemata ward candidates to express their views on the living wage proposal as well as improved public transport services and rental accommodation standards.  The organiser was Living Wage Aotearoa who have been […]

Only unsustainable net migration fuels “growth”

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, September 2nd, 2016 - 107 comments

Our National dipshit ministers have decided to start a new growth industry. They importing low-skilled to extract their savings, using them to generate artificial heat in the service economy and to slow wage growth. On the way through they’re also screwing the housing market. Our current net permanent long-term migration is completely unsustainable. Perhaps it is time to vote NZ First?

Last chance to sign the equal pay petition

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, August 29th, 2016 - Comments Off on Last chance to sign the equal pay petition

New Zealand’s record is shameful. It is long past time or equal pay. You can sign the petition here.

Hickey on immigration and wages

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, August 22nd, 2016 - 79 comments

Hickey: “The best way for an economy to grow is for the market to allow wages to grow. Allowing a flood of low-skilled migrants is frustrating that market mechanism with the short-term aim of keeping wages low for employers.”

Spark – kudos

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, August 15th, 2016 - 30 comments

Our wages are too low generally, and this is one of the main economic challenges that we face. A few more employers committing to paying a living wage would be a good place to start.

Left Side Story: What do New Zealanders actually earn?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 12th, 2016 - 91 comments

Reprinted with permission, by Deborah Russell from Left Side Story: What do New Zealanders actually earn? And why we need to understand these figures.

Why are wages flat?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 9th, 2016 - 179 comments

The Nats would have you believe that the economy is in good shape, in which case there is no excuse for the ongoing stagnation of wages. Of course it’s not as simple as that.

Talleys versus Free Speech

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, July 29th, 2016 - 33 comments

The Talley group want the courts to order a union to stop telling the truth about how they bully, maim and kill their workers. Will the Standard be next in the firing line?

This is why we need a living wage

Written By: - Date published: 3:25 pm, June 30th, 2016 - 60 comments

It is tragic that a family working 80 hours a week cannot make ends meet.

The Herald says you don’t want a pay rise

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, June 23rd, 2016 - 32 comments

You might be surprised to learn this, but you don’t want a pay rise.

Pay up Compass

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, June 21st, 2016 - 39 comments

Not only has Compass being serving below quality food to hospital patients but it appears that they may not have paid some long term employees what they are entitled to.