Two editorials on immigration
Two very contrasting opinion pieces on racism, housing, jobs, and the immigration debate.
Economy
jobs
English hammered on ‘druggies’ smear
English will be worried that he got hammered like this, when Key got away with all sorts of insults and lies. And if you think your fellow Kiwis are useless workers you’re doing it wrong.
Bill’s bigoted drug reckons vs the evidence
Some folks Bill knows are telling him stuff and he’s basing immigration policy on it. The facts say otherwise. Bill English is full of shit and it’s time that more media called him on it.
Rocketwerkz – an enlightened employer
We sometimes give employers a bit of a hard time on this blog, so it’s nice to occasionally celebrate a good one. Dunedin gaming company Rocketwerkz is in the headlines for all the right reasons.
Good ideas in Gisborne
Andrew Little’s announcement yesterday in Gisborne of Labour’s pledge of up to $20million to build a prefabricated timber plant there is a much-needed boost to the area and a sign that Labour’s 100,000 new house pledge first made by David Shearer in 2012 has legs.
Treat her right
The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1972. It’s now 2017 and it’s never been enforced. It’s time to ‘Treat Her Right’.
Cadburys Dunedin to close with hundreds of jobs lost
Another blow to Dunedin.
The St Johns Industrial Dispute – #HealthyAmbosSaveLives
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.
Good coverage for Labour’s conference
Good coverage for Labour’s conference, Little’s speech, and the “substantial investigation into the Future of Work”.
Grant Robertson Speech: Future of Work Commission results
Text of a speech from Grant Robertson to the 2016 Labour Party Conference concerning the results from the Future of Work Commission.
Unemployment apples and oranges
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.
Delivering the Green New Deal
London-based macro-economist Ann Pettifor will speak on this topic at Wesley Church, 75 Taranaki Street, Wellington, on Tuesday 20 September at 5:30pm. Ann is a member of the Green New Deal Group, whose proposition is designed to power a renewables revolution, create thousands of green-collar jobs and rein in the distorting power of the finance sector while making more low-cost capital available for pressing priorities. All welcome; more info inside.
Chloe King – John Key, I am a low waged worker, and neither “lazy” nor “drug addled”
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.
The Mayoral candidates and the living wage proposal
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 […]
Grant Robertson on the adjusted unemployment figure
“The sad reality is that while the change in measurement might elicit a lower number or percentage it will not mean one fewer person is unemployed.”
The future of work
The Herald (Liam Dann) had a Terminator themed piece on the future of work yesterday. If only there was a party that was thinking about these long term issues!
Helen Kelly; A Work of Art.
The NZ Portrait Gallery’s latest work is of unionist Helen Kelly. It’s great.
90 day trial – no lie too outrageous for National
For eight long years National have been telling us that the 90 day trial (fire at will) law was all about creating jobs. Yesterday a new Treasury report showed that it had failed to do so. RNZ: “The government now says its 90-day trial period was never about increasing the number of jobs in New Zealand”. Of course.
Fire at will (90 days) law a great success!
Or not. More National ideology burned to the ground by facts.
Essential reading – Hickey on immigration
Hickey: “Helping employers to bring in low-skilled migrants instead of investing in new technology and becoming more productive so they can pay local workers more is essentially stunting our productivity and real GDP per capita.”
UBI gathers momentum in Europe
Practical trials of an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) are taking place or are under consideration across Europe. Given the increasing automation of work it’s difficult to see a practical alternative to a UBI in the medium to long term.
The Mother Budget
There are budgets and there are budgets. And for all the presence or absence of bright ideas, there’s a budget that threatens to subsume all others…
Unemployment jumps
After eight long years of National there are almost 40,000 more unemployed than when they came to power.
The unfortunate case of the Overseas Investment Office handling of the purchase of a Taranaki Farm
They say in politics that a news story is good for the opposition/bad for the Government if it hits the media cycle two days in a row. If it appears for a third or a fourth day then it is a crisis and urgent action is required. Louise Upston’s handling of the OIO is clearly a crisis.
Job losses everywhere
Brighter Future. Cusp of Something Special. Tell it to the newly jobless.
Imperator Fish: The terrifying cost of Labour’s UBI
Imperator Fish warns us of the terrifying cost of Labour’s UBI.
It’s even worse than you think.
Job cuts and the future of work
Two headline job losses today underline the importance of Labour’s Future of Work.
Hickey on the UBI
Bernard Hickey makes some excellent points on the Unconditional Basic Income / Guaranteed Minimum Income.
Labour’s Ten Big Ideas
National’s only idea this term has just been shot down by the public. Meanwhile Labour has been thinking about the future and the issues that confront NZ.
Future of Work Conference
Labour’s Future of Work Conference is under way. There is a page with information and live stream here.
Looking to the future – planning to adapt and protect people – this is work a government should be doing. In this case, a government in waiting…
Bunnings trying for end run around employment law
Bunnings tries for an end run around employment law by using “paid volunteers”.
Compare and contrast: Little vs Corbyn on immigration
Andrew Little says that NZ should restrict foreigners working as chefs [Update: Not exactly, no]. Jeremy Corbyn says the focus of government should be on health and schools, not restricting immigrants.
Labour considering Unconditional Basic Income
As with capital gains tax, the political left is kicking off a very important discussion for NZ.
Go, technology, inequality, the future of work
Miscellaneous Sunday morning meanderings on technology, inequality and the future of work.
Intergenerational theft
The Guardian has an excellent piece on “the 30-year economic betrayal dragging down Generation Y’s income”.
Jobs and wages
Boring stuff about boring old jobs and wages.