Fixing Unemployment – Zoom meetup Saturday 10am

Written By: - Date published: 3:11 pm, June 19th, 2020 - 8 comments
Categories: ACC, Economy, employment, jobs, poverty, unemployment, welfare, workers' rights - Tags:

Is it time to completely rethink how we deal with unemployment? We face a tsunami of job losses not seen in generations. The damage could be immense, especially if the devastation of people, regions and entire communities becomes entrenched. Many still haven’t recovered from the 1980s restructuring.

Two ideas — social insurance and a job guarantee — are gaining prominence as ways that could fundamentally change how we deal with the problem. One is intended to provide income protection for those who lose employment, the other aims for something bolder: the elimination of unemployment.

In this Zoom meetup, Dr Michael Fletcher of Victoria University of Wellington and Dr Bill Cochrane of the University of Waikato join us to explain and examine our options for change in these extraordinary times.

RSVP to Martin Taylor at rsvp.region1@gmail.com, or sign up online at https://fabians.org.nz/. We’ll send you the Zoom link and info so you can join the discussion. Time: 10am–noon Saturday 20 June. Organised by the Region 1 (Auckland/Northland) economic policy group and the NZ Fabian Society

Dr Michael Fletcher is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. He holds a PhD in Economics from AUT and has a background as an academic and policy adviser working mainly in labour market and social welfare research and policy.

Dr Bill Cochrane is Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, University of Waikato. He holds a PhD in Labour Studies from Waikato and has extensive experience as an academic and commissioned researcher. His current research is focused on local labour markets and low wage, low skill employment.

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8 comments on “Fixing Unemployment – Zoom meetup Saturday 10am ”

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  1. Michael who failed Civics 1
    19 June 2020 at 3:43 pm

    This is a great idea and an excellent opportunity to put some heat on Labout to actually deliver something on social justice. It's shown it can take action on middle class welfare but refuses to do so with the poor.

  2. Draco T Bastard 2
    19 June 2020 at 4:05 pm

    Perhaps we could combine the job guarantee with Marx's reserve army of labour.

    As Covid-19 has just shown us we need skilled people to be able to step in when the brown stuff hits the whirly thing. So, instead of having unemployed people we have people employed by the government who are constantly in training – health, paramedic, administration, construction training etcetera.

    These people wouldn't be specialists but all-rounders able to step into any job when needed. Especially in emergencies.

    • Sabine 2.1
      19 June 2020 at 7:33 pm

      You have a funny way of thinking – not specialists – after all you want them to be able to do anything at any given time. That skill is however a very special kind of talent to have.

      I agree with your idea. IT would be a better use of human capital. Alas, i am always a bit worried that it only means that one has a right to a job and you better take that job, considering that we all will be clamoring for jobs sooner or later.

  3. lprent 3
    20 June 2020 at 8:10 am

    Will be on the road – I doubt if the cell coverage in the back roads of the Waikato will sustain a session.

    devil

  4. Sacha 4
    20 June 2020 at 12:10 pm

    How did it go, Mike?

  5. maggieinnz 5
    20 June 2020 at 3:17 pm

    I'm just wondering if the meeting was recorded. I'd love to watch it. Excellent initiative, thank you Mike.

  6. adam 6
    21 June 2020 at 3:39 am

    Was there any talk about the insanity of landlords?

    Or the utter delusional behaviour of real estate companies to keep hiking up rents in the face of mass unemployment?

    • Tricledrown 6.1
      22 June 2020 at 10:04 am

      Adam now air bnb and other accommodations have no customers a flood of rental's has come into the market that is already forcing down rental prices.

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