Mick Lynch is a working class hero
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- Date published:
10:50 am, June 25th, 2022 - 30 comments
Categories: boris johnson, Economy, uk politics, Unions, workers' rights -
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Over in the UK industrial action by the Rail Maritime and Transport Union is attracting attention. And the RMTU head, Mick Lynch, is proving to be a media sensation. His clear and direct means of communication is laying to waste all of the carefully scripted union attacks that the Tories can muster.
Check this video out if you want a flavour of what he has been saying.
And the video in this tweet shows the clarity of his message and of his analysis.
We live in the age of the jabby, confrontational interview & the RMTs, Mick Lynch, has had a few of them.
If you treat people with respect, you can still ask tough questions & get decent answers allowing your audience to make their own minds up@5_News pic.twitter.com/pr6aYycBc5
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) June 22, 2022
The tories have taken to the prospect of Industrial Action like a pig in mud. Anything to distract attention from Johnson’s woes and the overwhelming impression of grift and sleaze that they are up to their necks in.
The dispute relates to the RMTU seeking wage increases to compensate for inflation which in the UK is currently running at 9.1%. Boris and Co think this is a bad idea because it will be inflationary. Essentially their view is that workers should bear the brunt of the damage caused by inflation so that others, rich people and company shareholders in particular, do not miss out.
The employers of RMTU workers have responded with an offer that will not only cause a significant cut in wages in real terms but they also propose to cut the number of jobs and current job conditions. And complained that wage increases cannot be afforded, even though senior executive salaries have been increasing and there was a recent shareholder payout. From Open Democracy:
Train companies paid out nearly £800m to shareholders last year before telling rail unions that employees must take a real-terms pay cut for them to stay afloat.
More than 50,000 train workers across 13 train companies began three days of industrial action on Tuesday. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said it was striking in response to plans by the companies to cut jobs and real-terms pay, and worsen employment conditions.
Rail chiefs have said that a cost-of-living pay rise, one of the RMT’s key demands, is “not sustainable in the current economic climate”.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail companies, said it had rejected a pay rise on the grounds that it would be ‘unfair to taxpayers’ given the emergency funding the government had provided to the industry during the pandemic.
Yet just last week, the UK’s largest train operator, FirstGroup, boasted to investors that profits for this year were “ahead of expectation” and pledged to resume dividend payouts. The company handed its shareholders £500m in December 2021, just months after being awarded government contracts for running the South Western Railway and Transpennine Express.
The company said the contracts have “no revenue risk and very limited cost risk” and that the new system “works better for passengers and taxpayers, while generating more resilient and consistent returns for shareholders” in a statement at the time.
I am sure you get the picture. Workers wages will be decreased to hold inflation but not chief executive salaries or shareholder payouts. The current economic model preserves privilege but demands that workers receive even less.
Lynch’s performance has attracted considerable attention with Jeremy Gilbert in the Guardian stating that Labour could learn a lot from him. From the article:
This week, the RMT union leader, Mick Lynch, has done something that no political figure has achieved since Brexit tore the nation apart in 2016. He has united progressive opinion, from the revolutionary left to the liberal centre, in praise of his deft and devastating media interviews – almost all of them in the face of hostile questioning.
In part this is simply because Lynch is a brilliant communicator and strategic thinker, as would be expected of the leader of a union whose cadres have long been noted for their acuity, intelligence and determination. But it is also because millions in Britain find it refreshing to hear a socialist perspective on current events articulated with clarity and conviction. Lynch puts the case for collective action with a precision and a lack of moralism that is both appealing and vanishingly rare. He also points out the harm done to workers and consumers by excess corporate profits: a blindingly obvious point that almost no mainstream commentator makes.
Gilbert also comments on how since the 1980s politics has increasingly been dominated by people who could loosely be described as careerists or professionals.
… since the 1980s we have seen the consolidation of a professional class of senior managers, politicians and media operatives, who tend to share a culture and an outlook, whichever political parties or institutions they may be attached to. Its members tend to be socially liberal, but also utterly committed to the assumption that socialism, and even traditional social democracy, are political philosophies that died with the 20th century. This social group draws members from among the privately educated and from the most successful products of state education, and it occupies the positions of power in many institutions today: from the BBC to the parliamentary Labour party.
What it doesn’t tend to include is many committed trade unionists, many people whose vowel-sounds haven’t been honed at elite universities, or many who are willing to put corporate profits into question when giving interviews about the nature of price inflation. While at one time it was the Labour party itself that was supposed to be the vehicle for bringing such people into public life,for much of the Blair period and beyond it has prevented these people from reaching positions of power, with the exception of the period of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
And if you want to read something really disturbing this Declassified UK interview by Matt Kennard with Jeremy Corbyn makes for somber reading. The essential message is that Corbyn never had a chance and was undermined by the establishment. The interview covers incidents such as the UK military sending Corbyn a warning, deliberate undermining by MI5 and MI6, an open threat from Mike Pompeo, the Guardian publishing 1,215 stories mentioning Labour and anti-semitism from 2016 to 2019 (yes I realise that I refer to the Guardian regularly but I cannot understand why it made such a song and dance of the anti semitism scandal) and Corbyn’s ultimate suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Lynch’s performance has drawn unflattering comparisons with that of Keir Starmer who still is unable to express support for the workers. In fact it is that bad that Starmer ordered MPs not to go onto the picket line and has threatened them with disciplinary action. From the Guardian:
Labour frontbenchers who defied Keir Starmer to appear on picket lines have been encouraged to issue public apologies or risk disciplinary action, despite some shadow cabinet members urging the Labour leader to drop the issue.
Several frontbenchers were pictured alongside striking RMT workers on Tuesday, despite explicit instructions from Starmer to stay away.
The Guardian understands some of the rebel MPs involved have been asked to issue a statement explaining their attendance.
One senior party source jokingly suggested a junior frontbencher had been asked to claim they had been “ambushed by a picket line” – a reference to an excuse used to explain Boris Johnson’s attendance at his own birthday party.
Another source, an MP, said the whips were “threatening people at the moment, trying to get them to issue apologies”. It is unclear what the consequences would be if they refused to apologise.
Meanwhile, Starmer is under pressure from some members of his shadow cabinet to drop the threat of disciplinary action.
One shadow minister said it would be “outrageous” to caution, or even sack, Labour MPs for showing solidarity with striking railworkers.
This endless focus group and polling to find the optimal triangulation point on issues makes a mockery of such traditional working class concepts as solidarity.
And when compared to Mick Lynch’s direct and principled stance on issues the Starmer’s principle free style is clear.
Finally Green Day’s version of John Lennon’s Working Class Hero ballad.
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We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...5 days ago - Greens back teachers’ demandsThe Green Party backs the demands of the teachers’ strikers. ...6 days ago
- Greens will waste no time with Minister for Zero WasteThe error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...7 days ago
- Greens secure win for clean transportThe Green Party has made it easier for commuters to access e-bikes thanks to an amendment to tax rules. ...1 week ago
- Greens will always prioritise action on climate and inequality“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...1 week ago
- Bold action needed to help people eatBiggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...1 week ago
- Another Green transport idea gets the green lightThe Government’s announcement today that it will improve Christchurch’s bus system comes after Green and NGO pressure. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens launch submission guide for Auckland Council budgetThe Green Party has today launched a submission guide to help Aucklanders give crucial input and prevent potentially disastrous Auckland Council budget proposals. ...2 weeks ago
- When even the Nats agree bank profits are out of control, it’s time for an excess profits taxWith calls growing for inquiries and action on bank profits, the Greens say the Government has all the information it needs to act now and put a levy on banks. ...2 weeks ago
- Climate action must remain priority in transport investmentAs large parts of Aotearoa recover from two of the worst climate disasters we have ever experienced, it would be a huge mistake for the Government to deprioritise climate action from future transport investments, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Historic oceans treaty a wake-up call for AotearoaThe Green Party is celebrating the signing of a historic United Nations Ocean Treaty, and calls on the new Oceans and Fisheries Minister to urgently step up protection for Aotearoa’s oceans. ...2 weeks ago
- National would make life harder for peopleChristopher Luxon and the National Party are not telling the full story when it comes to childcare, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens back School Strike demandsThe Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate. ...3 weeks ago
- Building back better, safer and smarterThis year has seen a series of extreme weather events, unparalleled in New Zealand’s recent history. From Cape Reinga in the far north down to the Tararua Ranges, families and businesses across the country have suffered enormous loss and hardship. While the severe weather hasn’t directly affected every part of ...3 weeks ago
- Government focus on jobs sees record number of New Zealanders move from Benefits into work
113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...37 mins ago - Vertical farming partnership has upward momentumThe Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...14 hours ago
- Conference of Pacific Education Ministers – Keynote AddressE nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...16 hours ago
- New $13m renal unit supports Taranaki patientsThe new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...17 hours ago
- Second Poseidon aircraft on home soilDefence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...19 hours ago
- Further humanitarian aid for Türkiye and SyriaAotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...19 hours ago
- Community voice to help shape immigration policyMigrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...20 hours ago
- State Highway 3 project to deliver safer journeys, better travel connections for TaranakiConstruction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...22 hours ago
- Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of PolicePrime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...2 days ago
- Government confirms vital roading reconnectionsSix further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...2 days ago
- Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign MinisterForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...2 days ago
- Education Ministers from across the Pacific gather in AotearoaEducation Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...2 days ago
- State Highway 5 reopens between Napier and Taupō following Cyclone GabrielleA vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...2 days ago
- Special Lotto draw raises $11.7 million for Cyclone Gabrielle recoveryInternal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...3 days ago
- Government delivers a $3 million funding boost for Building Financial Capability servicesThe Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...5 days ago
- Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao – new Chair and memberMinister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...5 days ago
- Scholarships honouring Ngarimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion announcedFifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...5 days ago
- Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High CourtHigh Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...5 days ago
- NZ still well placed to meet global challengesThe economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...5 days ago
- Western Ring Route CompleteAucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...5 days ago
- Briefings to Incoming MinistersThis section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...5 days ago
- Teaming up for a stronger, more resilient FijiAotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...6 days ago
- Investment in blue highway a lifeline for regional economies and cyclone recoveryThe Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...6 days ago
- Next steps developing clean energy for NZThe Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...6 days ago
- Statement from the Prime Minister on Stuart NashThis morning I was made aware of a media interview in which Minister Stuart Nash criticised a decision of the Court and said he had contacted the Police Commissioner to suggest the Police appeal the decision. The phone call took place in 2021 when he was not the Police Minister. ...7 days ago
- CPTPP Trade Ministers coming to AucklandThe Government’s sharp focus on trade continues with Aotearoa New Zealand set to host Trade Ministers and delegations from 10 Asia Pacific economies at a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission members in July, Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor announced today. “New Zealand ...7 days ago
- Govt approves $25 million extension for cyclone-affected businesses$25 million boost to support more businesses with clean-up in cyclone affected regions, taking total business support to more than $50 million Demand for grants has been strong, with estimates showing applications will exceed the initial $25 million business support package Grants of up to a maximum of $40,000 per ...7 days ago
- More than 160,000 new Kiwis to call NZ home80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visas applications have been processed – three months ahead of schedule Residence granted to 160,000 people 84,000 of 85,000 applications have been approved Over 160,000 people have become New Zealand residents now that 80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been ...7 days ago
- Scholarships propel Kiwi students to NASAThe Government continues to invest in New Zealand’s burgeoning space industry, today announcing five scholarships for Kiwi Students to undertake internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash congratulated Michaela Dobson (University of Auckland), Leah Albrow (University of Canterbury) and Jack Naish, Celine Jane ...7 days ago
- New Zealand to attend regional security meeting in AustraliaThe Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques travels to Melbourne, Australia today to represent New Zealand at the fourth Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security. “The Government is committed to reducing the threat of terrorism ...7 days ago
- Health and safety action plan for portsThe health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be improved as part of a new industry-wide action plan, Workplace Relations and Safety, and Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced. “Following the tragic death of two port workers in Auckland and Lyttelton last year, I asked the Port Health ...7 days ago
- Bikes and scooters to be exempt from FBTBikes, electric bikes and scooters will be added to the types of transport exempted from fringe benefit tax under changes proposed today. Revenue Minister David Parker said the change would allow bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, electric scooters, and micro-mobility share services to be exempt from fringe benefit tax where they ...1 week ago
- Foreign Affairs Minister to reaffirm our close relationship with FijiForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki ...1 week ago
- New legislation to streamline Cyclone recoveryThe Government is introducing the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill to ensure the recovery and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle is streamlined and efficient with unnecessary red tape removed. The legislation is similar to legislation passed following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes that modifies existing legislation in order to remove constraints ...1 week ago
- Cost of living package: More bread and butter support for Kiwi familiesApproximately 1.4 million people will benefit from increases to rates and thresholds for social assistance to help with the cost of living Superannuation to increase by over $100 a pay for a couple Main benefits to increase by the rate of inflation, meaning a family on a benefit with children ...1 week ago
- Freeing up more government bandwidth and money to focus on the cost of living$1 billion in savings which will be reallocated to support New Zealanders with the cost of living A range of transport programmes deferred so Waka Kotahi can focus on post Cyclone road recovery Speed limit reduction programme significantly narrowed to focus on the most dangerous one per cent of state ...1 week ago
- State of National Emergency to end for Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s BayThe remaining state of national emergency over the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions will end on Tuesday 14 March, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. Minister McAnulty gave notice of a national transition period over these regions, which will come into effect immediately following the end of the ...1 week ago
- Government delivers on Dawn Raids commitmentThe Government is today delivering on one of its commitments as part of the New Zealand Government’s Dawn Raids apology, welcoming a cohort of emerging Pacific leaders to Aotearoa New Zealand participating in the He Manawa Tītī Scholarship Programme. This cohort will participate in a bespoke leadership training programme that ...1 week ago
- New plan to increase productivity and high wage jobs across advanced manufacturing sectorIndustry Transformation Plan to transform advanced manufacturing through increased productivity and higher-skilled, higher-wage jobs into a globally-competitive low-emissions sector. Co-created and co-owned by business, unions and workers, government, Māori, Pacific peoples and wider stakeholders. A plan to accelerate the growth and transformation of New Zealand’s advanced manufacturing sector was launched ...1 week ago
- Aotearoa New Zealand supports Pacific countries to combat animal disease New Zealand will provide support for Pacific countries to prevent the spread of harmful animal diseases, Associate Minister of Agriculture Meka Whaitiri said. The Associate Minister is attending a meeting of Pacific Ministers during the Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry in Nadi, Fiji. “Highly contagious diseases such as African ...2 weeks ago
- A ‘climate change election’ in 2023? Here’s what the polling tells us
The Greens say climate change will be integral to the big decision this year. Toby Manhire explores the data. Devastating, global-warming-exacerbated storms. A new IPCC report laying out the calamitous fireball hurtling our way. And a prime minister jettisoning a host of climate-aligned policies. There is plenty of material for James ...2 hours ago - Viral weight loss drug Ozempic has been approved for use in New ZealandMedsafe has approved applications for Ozempic to be used in New Zealand. How does this new drug work and why is everyone talking about it? What just happened? Last Thursday, New Zealand’s medical regulatory body Medsafe gave consent for Ozempic to be prescribed in New Zealand. The approval is for ...3 hours ago
- Sympathy cards and the lessons of birds
An author on the death of a baby and "a calm respectful grace" The normal world was out there. The clocks and the jobs and the traffic and the mortgages and the death. Especially the death. Death in suburbia means funerals with piped fake Celtic music despite the fact ...3 hours ago - The long road to Paris' rebound
One of New Zealand’s brightest young netball talents, Paris Lokotui has returned to the court 10 months after a knee reconstruction. Now she hopes her tough journey back paves a better way for other Māori and Pasifika players. Paris Lokotui remembers the moment time stood still. The 21-year-old was playing ...3 hours ago - Cyclone Gabrielle: Why many in Muriwai can't move on
A month on from Cyclone Gabrielle, many residents in Muriwai are still living in limbo, unable to return to their homes "I can't look back because it's too sad. I can't look forward because it is too daunting." Kat Corbett's Muriwai home remains out-of-bounds more than a month after ...3 hours ago - TOP and the not terribly Teal Deal
TOP leader Raf Manji talks to Nikki Mandow about going teal, and the opportunity for a party that’s pro-business and pro-environment ...3 hours ago - Govt should explain why it rejected our advice – Climate Commission
The Climate Change Commission's chair says the Government's decisions to ignore its advice could weaken the country's most important climate policy. ...3 hours ago - Central Otago subdivision buyers lose the plot
A wave of council rule rewrites drives section buyers to give up and look elsewhere ...3 hours ago - Beware of coconut oil salesmen
Coconut plantations are far from being ‘natural’ environments, coconut oil is high in saturated fats, and, despite the advertising, most of the global supply of coconut oil doesn’t come from the Pacific Islands either Opinion: Coconut oil has gained a halo as a natural health product, with claims it can ...3 hours ago - New Orleans’ lesson on fallible flood defences: Let's not ‘build back better’
Post-cyclone, where we rebuild and where we don't is the first challenge ...3 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 22 March
Loading...(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...4 hours ago - Daily crossword, Wednesday 22 March
...4 hours ago - Some Pacific nations ‘won’t survive’ if NZ and world drop the climate ball
By Hamish Cardwell, RNZ News senior journalist There is “is much to win by trying” to take action on climate change — that is a key finding in a major new international climate report the UN chief is calling a “survival guide for humanity”. It is something of a mic ...9 hours ago - Hipkins and Luxon hit the road: A taste of campaign 2023
A pōwhiri, a pie, and a grilling from primary school kids: Today was the day the boy from the Hutt who grew up to be prime minister went home for a visit. ...12 hours ago - How can Australia pay $368 billion for new submarines? Some of the money will be created from thin a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Australia’s decision to buy three nuclear-powered submarines and build another eight is so expensive that, for the A$268 billion to $368 billion price tag, we could give a million dollars ...14 hours ago
- Australia’s 116 new coal, oil and gas projects equate to 215 new coal power stationsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Denniss, Adjunct Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Australia has 116 new coal, oil and gas projects in the pipeline. If they all proceed as planned, an extra 1.4 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases would be released into ...14 hours ago
- Chris Hipkins and Justin Trudeau discuss 'shared priorities'Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau this afternoon. ...15 hours ago
- Public Sector Managers Growing At Twice The Rate Of Frontline Workers
Figures unearthed by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union reveal that the growth in public sector managers is almost twice that of frontline social, health and education workers. Since 2017, the frontline workforce for social services, health and education ...15 hours ago - What Australia could learn from New Zealand about Indigenous representationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University A referendum will be held later this year to enshrine a First Nations’ Voice to Parliament into the Australian constitution. ...15 hours ago
- Taoist rituals via video call and Tarot readings over WeChat: China’s spiritual market is going di...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Haoyang Zhai, PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne Alexander Schimmeck/Unsplash Since its inception in 1921, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has officially promoted an atheist and materialist ideology. But belief systems in China are making a comeback – and ...16 hours ago
- Scott Robertson appointed the next All Black coach (after the current one)Scott Robertson has been announced successor to Ian Foster as head coach of the All Blacks, completing a controversial and highly idiosyncratic appointment process. He will assume the role in 2024, following the world cup at the end of this year. The contract for the breakdancing current coach of the ...16 hours ago
- Concerns Expressed For Anti-Trans Activist Plans For New Zealand VisitMulticultural New Zealand (MNZ) has expressed concern about events scheduled to take place in Auckland and Wellington on March 25th and 26th, respectively. The events will feature British anti-transgender activist, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull. MNZ is ...16 hours ago
- Race Relations Day To Focus On Empowering Inspirational Leadership From YouthRace Relations Day is celebrated annually in New Zealand on March 21st to promote and celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and harmony among different cultural, ethnic, and religious groups. As part of Race Relations Day 2023, Multicultural New Zealand ...16 hours ago
- Mayor Wayne Brown’s Comments Concerning Says Library AssociationAuckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s suggestion to make council budget cuts by reducing staffing hours and replacing librarians and library assistants with volunteers is concerning says New Zealand’s library association. “Limiting access to the valued ...16 hours ago
- Google and Microsoft are bringing AI to Word, Excel, Gmail and more. It could boost productivity for...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Google and Microsoft are on a mission to remove the drudgery from computing, by bringing next-generation AI tools as add-ons to existing services. On March 16, Microsoft announced an ...16 hours ago
- Wayne Brown’s interviews since being elected mayor, rankedThe Auckland mayor’s decision to keep the media at arm’s length makes every interview he does grant a rare and exciting event, like a new Avatar movie. Stewart Sowman-Lund ranks them all from least to most exciting. Wayne Brown has a well-reported lack of affection for the media. In his ...17 hours ago
- Papuan liberation group calls for more ‘serious’ global efforts to end violenceTabloid Jubi in Jayapura The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has called on the international community to “pay serious attention” to the escalated violence happening in West Papua. Head of ULMWP’s legal and human rights bureau, Daniel Randongkir, said that since the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) ...17 hours ago
- IPCC report: world must cut emissions and urgently adapt to climate realitiesANALYSIS: By Bronwyn Hayward, University of Canterbury This decade is the critical moment for making deep, rapid cuts to emissions, and acting to protect people from dangerous climate impacts we can no longer avoid, according to the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The synthesis report ...17 hours ago
- Labour now leads National across five pollsAcross five of the latest polls for which results are published, Labour now has an edge over National. A new Talbot Mills poll, as reported by the Herald, has Labour up four points to 37%, with National down two points to 34%. The results, which draw on fieldwork across the first ...18 hours ago
- WWF Calls For The Government To Accelerate Action To Phase-out Fossil Fuels, Slash Emissions, And Re...Statement from Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, WWF-New Zealand CEO Today's IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Synthesis Report (AR6) highlights that an accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels is the best way to avoid the planet overshooting 1.5°C and risking total climate ...18 hours ago
- A day in the life of a children’s librarianThe first in a two-part series revealing insights into the working life of a librarian. For privacy reasons, all names – including place names – have been changed. Te Whare Pukapuka o Poutama is a composite library. It’s 9.30AM on a mid-January Monday, high summer, school holidays. Kaitiaki Pukapuka ...18 hours ago
- Our mysterious night parrot has terrible vision – but we discovered it might be able to hear like...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elen Shute, Researcher, Flinders University One bird bucks the stereotype of Australia’s raucous parrots – the mysterious and critically endangered night parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis). Rather than flying around in noisy flocks or eating fruit in trees, the night parrot roosts all day ...18 hours ago
- No, gamblers don’t ‘need’ cash. Our research isn’t an argument against cashless gaming refor...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sally Gainsbury, Deputy Director, Gambling Treatment and Research Clinic, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, University of Sydney shutterstock The Perottett government’s promise to introduce mandatory “cashless gambling” in New South Wales by 2028 – something for which anti-gambling activists and public-health ...18 hours ago
- Funding For Roads At Lowest Levels In A DecadeLocal Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is warning that the state of our roads could be the next infrastructure crisis if the Government does not adequately fund maintenance costs. LGNZ commissioned a report by one of the country’s leading economists, Brad ...18 hours ago
- Police Minister Ginny Andersen vows to focus on community safetyGinny Andersen, who was named in the role yesterday, says she will be working every day to make sure New Zealanders feel safer. ...18 hours ago
- Consumer Pulse: Kiwis Tighten Spend As They Face Financial StressToday Canstar is proud to release its second Consumer Pulse report, which delves into the financial worries, hopes and dreams of more than 20,000 New Zealanders over the past two years. The report, released annually, tracks Kiwis’ finances and reveals ...19 hours ago
- Australia’s electric vehicle numbers doubled last year. What’s the impact of charging them on a ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thara Philip, E-Mobility Doctoral Researcher, The University of Queensland The number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia doubled in 2022 and Tesla’s Model 3 emerged as the best-selling mid-size car, the first time an EV has held this title. Despite these headlines, ...19 hours ago
- A Greyhound Will Face Full Tail Amputation Following A Race Meeting In ChristchurchSAFE is again urging the Government to ban greyhound racing sooner rather than later, following a raft of severe injures in Christchurch yesterday. Sugar rose suffered a severe tail injury yesterday at Addington raceway. Her tail was partially amputated ...19 hours ago
- PM Chris Hipkins speaks to media after visiting his old primary schoolPrime Minister Chris Hipkins is speaking to media following a visit to his old primary school. ...19 hours ago
- Industry Lobbying Influence A Major Brake On Government Action – GreenpeaceIn the wake of revelations that Chris Hipkins' chief of staff, Andrew Kirton, lobbied against the Container Return Scheme on behalf of the liquor industry shortly before the scheme was scrapped by the Prime Minister, Greenpeace is calling for the scheme ...19 hours ago
- Why peace negotiations haven’t gained any traction in the Ukraine war – and how the stalemate co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Komesaroff, Professor of Medicine, Monash University Libkos/AP/AAP A year after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is in ruins. At least 8,000 civilians have died, with millions displaced. Generations of infrastructure have been destroyed. Large tracts of the environment and agricultural land ...19 hours ago
- Watch live: PM Chris Hipkins speaks to media after visiting his old primary schoolPrime Minister Chris Hipkins is speaking to media following a visit to his old primary school. ...19 hours ago
- The Opportunities Party Announces A $1.5b Investment In Our Future Generations With The Teal DealThe Opportunities Party have proposed a new Teal Deal between taxpayers and young Kiwis - which includes fully-funded healthcare and public transport, and a Kiwisaver kickstarter in exchange for national civic service. Raf Manji, Leader of The Opportunities ...20 hours ago
- Why is it so hard to combine biking with public transport in Auckland?There are plenty of practical ways the city could make multi-modal transport more accessible – but have they all been consigned to the too-hard basket? How can Auckland start mitigating its impact on the climate crisis? Our biggest city’s sustainable solution must start with transport, its number one source of ...20 hours ago
- Parliament Must Seize Chance To Unlock Natural Health Products’ Billion-dollar PotentialLong overdue legislation to unlock the economic and export potential of natural health products must not accidentally add more red tape that harms the growing sector and consumers, industry body Natural Health Products New Zealand told Members of ...20 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Shining a bright light on lobbyists in politicsAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Shining a bright light on lobbyists in politics Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Four out of the five people who have held the top role of Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff since 2017 have been lobbyists. That’s a fact that should worry anyone who ...20 hours ago
- Chernobyl was history’s worst nuclear disaster. Now it’s teaching geologists about the history o...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Fougerouse, Research Fellow, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and The Institute for Geoscience Research (TIGeR), Curtin University Shutterstock Thirty-seven years ago, on April 26 1986, the reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown. In ...20 hours ago
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Thanks MS i'll be raising my glass to Mick Lynch later
The man of the hour for sure.
I love it that the Brits still use the term "working class" with pride. Our delusions of an egalitarian society don't seem to have shifted that much, like working in a call center is somehow "middle class" because you wear office dress, and working in fast food or childcare or courier driver is just a temporary aberration before you move on to better things. We don't even seem able to acknowledge poverty like grown ups ..its all "Child Poverty"…
I hope some of his fighting spirit rubs off ..I presume next time round they won't make the same mistake of giving him so much airtime.
Wow, exception communication skills the guy would make a good leader of wider political movement.
They way he set everything out so clearly, you would think the Labour party would be be in full throated support its essentially Labour v Capital after all. I guess you can see who's side the current Starmer led party sits.
Of course Keir Starmer has to walk a different line and to not acknowledge that is politically naive in the extreme.
Mick Lynch's role is to advocate for pay and conditions for RMT workers. He does that very well. Starmer must win a GE against the most corrupt government the UK has ever seen and needs to tread far more carefully.
Starmer is a part of the corrupt establishment that turned on Corbyn with a vicious smear campaign, because he awoke class consciousness, and the elites can’t be having that.
It is hard for someone like that to get heard, but it is great television. Interviews like that will increase viewership, and he should be on every channel. It is why Boris works (as a brand), because he is outrageous and entertaining.
Great post Micky Don will be chuffed. Mick Lynch is a star – great to see how he uses straight speaking to blow away the media's tired old memes.
He has great lines and positive working class energy, and soon has the presenters on the ropes.
The only stagger from vids that I have seen was when he was repeatedly asked “are you a marxist or not”…he only needed to say “are you a tory?”.
I imagine The Sun and the rest will be digging furiously to find out if Mick ever had an untied shoelace. But working class people will surely gain confidence from this.
And Labour's.
Some of us well remember asking that the 8 hour working day hour 40 hour working week that was n the front page of the Labour Party website be removed as the Labour Party no longer believed in it.
It was removed shortly after.
We remember the year of manifesto bullshit back around 2012/2013 as well.
Labour doesn't care about either those on benefit or the working class. They squandered their public support and opportunity to increase benefit rates after WEAG and only do what they think is marginally acceptable to the right who control the narrative.
Cheers Mike. Mick reminds me of more than a few trade unionists I have known including my dad.
I think your dad would have headbutted her flat.
That was still the most awesome Catholic+Union funeral I’ve ever been to.
Well thats a strange comment…….
A real breath of fresh air thankyou so much Don.
It would be nice to see a bit more Of Mick Lynch's Left in NZ – God knows our workers have got decades of catching up to do.
Decades of the Roger Douglas, Richard Prebble et al "legacy". Unions and Workers….hell, NZ SOCIETY, "reformed" and destroyed ..for the benefit of a few, who became unbelievably wealthy. Labours shame.
Douglas Prebble Bassett..They were not Labour. Any of them !!! Then the "Contract Act" polished the turd further. Individualism and Competition over Teamwork and Co-operation.
Hi Patricia. Sorry late reply. Agree totally. They, and there were many more, were of course, (as we found) the worms that became the ACT flies. And David Lange ….unfocused, for "reasons" lost the plot…and our Future.
So refreshing to hear someone talk in plain language. I did not feel one tot of sympathy for the interviewer – especially when she tried to project her blustering and flustering on to Mike Lynch.
Sorry. Mixed up my videos.
So refreshing to hear someone talk in plain language.
Not sure what's going on here. Tried to edit but it reproduced comment instead.
Great article MS. The point raised by Mick Lynch on record profits and payouts to shareholders is a world wide phenomenon. When blaming workers it was the "wage/price spiral". Now its the profit/price spiral. No wonder workers are getting angry.
Thanks also for the great Matt Kennard interview from Declassified UK with Corbyn. I'd forgotten about Starmer being director of CPS during the Assange extradition to Sweden fiasco and the destruction of emails relating to this.
Also really heartening to hear Corbyns abhorrence to the obscene profits made by the UK arms industry in support of Saudis destruction of Yemen. The recounting of his inability to get loyalty from his own MPs in the vote to ban these arms sales shows just how much money has corrupted the Labour Party.
I wish both Corbyn and Lynch well in their efforts in the good fight. There are a lot of people in the UK that could use their help
Jeremy Corbyn, apart from the attacks by The Guardian !… was certainly white-anted from within the Labour party. Even here on The Standard…"flake" and worse.
I sure hope the Brits can throw the actual Tories out. Be a hard task…voter apathy and all the rest of the beat downs……
Anyway …I wish them all the Best too !
Yep. I got bollocked a few times here for supporting Jeremy.
He was never intended to get the leadership, and in the end was perhaps a little effete, but that could have been based on his understanding of how precarious his position was. He could have done with a more Mick Lynch approach himself!
I maintain that had JC simply advocated “we will respect the vote on Brexit AND renationalise and protect public assets” he may well have been PM despite the huff and puff of the British establishment.
Yep have definitely seen the anti Corbyn on here. And I did feel for Mr Corbyn over there. He must have felt between the rock and hard place. In his own party ! And the whole anti Semite slur…manufactured, and run repeatedly.
Anyway. I do read your comments too. Good on you.
I just realised I called him Mick Kelly a few times. Now corrected.
NZCTU–look and learn…please! Historically around the world successful central labour organisations should be class left leaders not just another Wellington lobby group “welcoming” every move of the Labour Caucus.
The Conservatives are trying to paint Mick Lynch as some kind of latter-day Arthur Scargill, someone who can be made a scapegoat for anything that goes wrong.
Mickey Savage finally great work. Such is the repression and propaganda of the corporate media I would doubt very few kiwis would even know this man exists.
The NZLP is an exact replica of its british cousin and so many other corporate Social Democrats the world over who have not articulated or supported working people since the putsch undertaken by the neo liberals to infiltrate and dilute the once powerful Labour parties formed to fight what is being done right now.
Andrew Little sort of fought for his union members but now he is in cabinet he won't support the many health care workers like me who need more than 3 % being offered and no more to survive. The union is actually not asking for much more than that and just enough to assist many to survive.
He is a typical example of the current government who pretend to espouse Labour solutions as long as it adheres to the corporate neo liberal approach and that this should be enough.
I hope a new movement is formed to fight what has become an enslavement of the working man and woman in today’s extreme capitalist corporate machine where someone like Corbyn can be threatened by the state for being a real Labour leader. They really are terrified of anything that does not mean making money or that people should have a political party that represents them.
Its time the one party state was ended.
Damned with faint praise
“Andrew Little sort of fought for his union members…..”
Nuff’ said.