The right to strike

• Stephanie Rodgers
• 9 years ago
• Categories: business, employment, national, Unions, workers' rights
• Tags: CTU, industrial action, jami-lee ross, right to strike, Unions

The right to strike is recognised internationally as a fundamental workers’ right – though it’s not universally respected, like many other basic human rights. Global union IndustriALL notes five reasons why workers need the right to strike:

1. Striking is a last resort but sometimes the only tool for workers to protect themselves.
2. To avoid being at the complete mercy of employers.
3. To give more of a balance between worker and employer power.
4. Without it, more and more governments will ban industrial action and punish people who dare to strike.
5. Most strikes are over pay and better working conditions. Without the threat of strike action, corporations will be able to make bigger profits, while working conditions will get worse.

In honour of International Right to Strike Day tomorrow (18 Feb), the CTU is inviting Kiwis to send a message to 20 of New Zealand’s biggest businesses telling them to call out their association’s participation in the global campaign to remove the right to strike.

Back in 2013, National had the nous to trash Jami-Lee Ross’ thoroughly Orwellian-named “Continuity of Labour” Bill, which would have allowed employers to lock out workers and bring in volunteers or contractors to replace them, effectively destroying the power of strike action. The bill was apparently driven up through the National Party’s ranks, and was heavily endorsed by many members – but the government could see it was a step too far, and canned it at first reading in order to get their more “technical” law changes through – including the removal of basic guaranteed rest breaks.

As the third-term desperation sets in, I’m not sure they’d do the same thing again. A fourth term’s never out of the question but with the wheels already falling off the SkyCity “deal” and the Mike Sabin issue denting the PM’s credibility with the press gallery, it’s got to be looking further and further out of reach. So who knows what they’ll try to get through while they’ve got the chance?