Posts Tagged ‘Unions’

Wellington buses now: how a local authority harmed public transport

Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, July 6th, 2020 - 15 comments

Sure to form, Paul Swain along with Regional Council Chair and another former Labour MP Fran Wilde proposed tearing down the trolleybus wire and increasing the city’s carbon emission. This was to then promptly followed by re-tendering all the bus routes having redesigned all the bus network so that bus companies could then compete over routes and undercut each other. At one council meeting in mid-2016 Swain was questioned about the possibility of protecting drivers jobs and employment conditions. After a few questions, he lost patience, slammed in hand on the table and ended the meeting. This was the extent to which Swain and the Greater Wellington Regional Council considered supporting bus drivers during this process.

Immigration: we can’t keep succumbing to fear tactics

Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, December 2nd, 2019 - 18 comments

 

 

 

 

 

Employment Law Changes; A Win for the Workers

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, November 28th, 2018 - 40 comments

The Labour Party sponsored amendments to the Employment Relations Act are a step closer to becoming law. That’s a good thing for working people and a good thing for coalition politics.

Go Bus Lockout; Hypocrites Ngai Tahu and Tainui Screw Workers

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, November 19th, 2018 - 70 comments

Ngai Tahu and Tainui remind us that they like exploiting working people as much as the next capitalist. They’ve locked out their Waikato bus drivers for asking to be paid the Living Wage.

Stop Using the ‘F’ Word.

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, February 13th, 2018 - 41 comments

Because words matter.

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)

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!

Workers, unions and the Labour party

Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, October 23rd, 2016 - 198 comments

Convincing workers not to organise in their own best interests is one of the great successes of right-wing politics.

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.

Unions good for society and economy

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, October 11th, 2015 - 39 comments

Great post on the UK based NEF Blog: Don’t be fooled, dismantling the rights of workers is not good for you, or for the economy.

Anti-union rant in The Herald

Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, June 8th, 2015 - 72 comments

An anonymous editorial in The Herald this morning really is atrocious. Apparently the limited uptake one of the Nats’ pet education policies is all the fault of the unions.

The right to strike

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, February 17th, 2015 - 54 comments

Celebrate International Right to Strike Day on 18 February by sending a message to Kiwi employers: stop undermining our right to strike!

Exploited workers need union protection

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, December 1st, 2014 - 30 comments

Another example of a bad employer unfairly docking a worker’s pay. But this worker was a union member…

Labour and the unions

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, November 19th, 2014 - 109 comments

In which I ponder my 2c on the leadership race, and the path ahead for Labour and the unions…

All is not well in the VFX industry, Squires

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, June 18th, 2013 - 50 comments

Many praise Jackson and Weta for the work it brings to NZ. However, a recent US-focused survey by Scott Squires, shows how subsidies, like that for the Hobbit, plus lack of unionisation are contributing to increasing exploitation, income insecurity and competition among skilled VFX workers internationally. [Update: Squires’ response]

The real story of the ports dispute

Written By: - Date published: 1:14 pm, February 29th, 2012 - 120 comments

MUNZ workers and their families explain in their own words how changes being promoted by management of the Auckland City owned Ports of Auckland will affect their families. Watch this video to find out what the Ports of Auckland dispute is really about:

Together: union security for $1 week

Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, December 22nd, 2011 - 75 comments

There’s a new union in town and who knows?  it might just prove to be the salvation of the union movement (so you can put money on  some hard-headed unionists opposing it for ideological reasons!) The concept  of Together is simple; if you currently belong to a union and you’ve got family members who work in places where there’s […]

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.

CTU on closing the wage gap

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, October 3rd, 2008 - 4 comments

The Council of Trade Unions has done a lot of work on why wages are low for many workers in New Zealand and how they can be increased to close the wage gap with Australia. They offer six proposals: Increase the minimum wage to at least $15 per/hour We know from the painful experience of […]

Nats, Farrar fail again in attempt to muzzle Kiwis

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, August 29th, 2008 - 26 comments

For the third time, National’s attempt to get a legal decision to block the EPMU and its sister unions from participating in the election campaign as registered third parties as failed. So pathetic were National’s arguments that they lost their last case even though the EMPU submitted no arguments of its own to the Court. […]

Will the real National policy please stand up?

Written By: - Date published: 3:25 pm, July 28th, 2008 - 18 comments

A reader noticed a difference between National’s workplace policy as quoted by us and as quoted elsewhere. We and some others have: “Continue to allow union access to workplaces with the employer’s consent.” taken from the PDF of the workplace policy. While others have: “Continue to allow union access to workplaces with an employer’s consent, […]

Reaction roundup: Nats’ work rights policy

Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, July 25th, 2008 - 39 comments

Democratic, voluntary organisations of workers: Finsec: “Within the current framework, many workers have been able to achieve real wage increases like the 5% increase from Westpac our members have been offered this week…These pay rises have come as a result of staff being able to bargain collectively through their own independent union. National’s policies undermining […]

False idol

Written By: - Date published: 6:38 am, July 19th, 2008 - 30 comments

We’ve said this before but, seeing as BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander is in the Herald this morning saying ‘the October 1 tax cuts won’t cover inflation’, it’s worth restating: tax cuts are not and can not be the method by which people’s incomes are risen for inflation. Tax cuts cannot be cut year on […]

Free Zimbabwe

Written By: - Date published: 6:36 am, June 25th, 2008 - 78 comments

There is no longer any hope the union-led Movement for Democratic Change can remove Mugabe from power peacefully. Now, his thugs are killing MDC supporters, union leaders have been arrested, and the regime is moving to break the organised labour. This is typical behaviour of a regime moving into totalitarianism the unions represent the largest […]

Workers be careful, says Aussie Unionist

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 pm, May 7th, 2008 - 158 comments

Sharan Burrow (President of Australian Council of Trade Unions) talked to Morning Report about the union experiences in Australia under a conservative government, and their hope for the future with Kevin Rudd. She also had some words of warning for NZ workers: “We say to your workers here, be very careful, you don’t want to […]

Wages up at record rate

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, May 5th, 2008 - 17 comments

The Labour Cost Index rose a record 3.4% for the March year. That means wages and salaries for doing the same job rose an average of 3.4% over the year. Public sector wages were up 3.3% and private sector wages up 3.5%. Retail and other low-paid workers did especially well, with their pay up 5.1%, […]

Helen Clark answers your questions

Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, April 25th, 2008 - 62 comments

We’re very pleased to have Prime Minister Helen Clark respond to your questions as part of our Interview the Leaders series. Question to all leaders: Of which of your achievements in politics are you most proud? I am proud to lead a government which has worked so hard to restore fairness, opportunity, security, and hope to many New […]

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