Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Talleys has de-recognised the Meat Workers Union and refused to bargain with them. They have told the workers to set up a new, yellow union. Or else. Brighter Future? Not under National. This is what the recent changes in employment law were intended to achieve. It’s union busting in a brutal, thuggish form.
In Copenhagen, our government committed itself, and by extension, us “To hold the increase in global temperature below two degrees Celsius and to take actions to meet this objective, consistent with the science and on the basis of equity”
And yet…
A brief analysis of a number of deals that National has negotiated suggests that its reputation as a supposedly tough dealmaker is misplaced.
Under Unitec’s new vision students will be known as Customers. Student services will be outsourced (overseas)
Aspiration statementTo be a world leader in contemporary applied learning and an agent of positive economic and social change.
As milk prices plunge and Fonterra’s expected payout is cut to a level that will cause most farms to run at a loss John Key’s promised brighter future is disappearing fast.
John Armstrong thinks that National has bested Labour over #sheepgate because Key keeps saying it is all Labour’s fault. And Hosking thinks the payment has a good business case despite the payment having not achieved the result that was being sought,
Next Monday 1,000 workers at Talley’s owned AFFCO will take strike action.
I am getting a bit bored with pundits proclaiming the imminent demise of NZ First. Over it’s 25 year life this has been the constant refrain from the likes of John Armstrong. The reality is that they appeal to a conservative mindset that traditionally had been part of the National parties internal coalition. They will keep eating at it.
Unemployment has risen for two quarters in a row despite the optimistic Treasury forecasts.
Talleys have fired the first shots in National’s new class war. You can stand with the AFFCO workers and reject the Tories new anti-union law. Boycott Talleys. Make a stand for your fellow Kiwis.
There has been some discussion about the reasons why Solid Energy is facing liquidation. A brief review of its history suggests that this Government’s incompetence is a major factor.
The CTU win in a private prosecution over a forestry worker’s death. Where was WorkSafe?
As The Standard said at the time, the Government’s decision to destroy Relationships Aotearoa could be a colossal stuff up. And this morning we learn that a Canterbury landlord has allowed access to the sensitive files left behind when RA closed. Anne Tolley must act or Anne Tolley must go.
There were some good opinion pieces published over the weekend. Not comfortable reading for the Nats.
Deborah McMillan’s husband and Skyla McMillan’s dad Shane was killed in a workplace accident five years ago. They are part of a campaign to strengthen the currently weakened health and safety legislation.
A UBI would allow ordinary people to shift their daily focus from doing paid jobs making money for others, to doing useful work of their own choice, under their own control.
An excellent piece by Graham Adams – well worth reading the whole thing in Metro, but here are some extracts “on the slow unravelling of a small democracy”.
Looks like the TPP press conference has been delayed. Good. Lets hope this restraint of trade agreement stays that way. I had time to look at the varied opinions in the Herald this morning. A range from the good to the pathetic…
So the news on Labour’s first paper from its “Future of Work” Commission revolves around “ex-Labour member” Phil Quin noticing some missing quote marks and National making gleeful diversions from it. But of course what is actually important is the content.
A relevant and real “Future of Work Commission” needs to be centred on building creativity, increasing collectivity, dealing with climate change and achieving fossil fuel transition.
Looks like (ht Danyl Mclauchlan) Malaysia is smarter than us.
The NBR’s annual list of the one percent is out. No surprises that the growing inequality in New Zealand is working well for the parasites at the top of the hill.
As commentators and dairy industry insiders warn of TPP disaster, the Nats’ message to we the people is shut up and take our medicine – oh and by the way the price just went up.
John Key has tried to suggest that we have nothing to worry about planned changes to Pharmac caused by TPP. But a recent further release by Wikileaks on the effects of the Trans Pacific Partnership on State Owned Enterprises makes you wonder if the implications of TPP on Pharmac are as limited as he says.
Labour is proposing a set of amendments to fix the Health and Safety Reform Bill. They need the support of Peter Dunne and the Māori Party. Will they do the right thing?
We’re not making progress on dairy in the TPP negotiations, but the smart money reckons we’re going to sign anyway.
Update: Read what a real journalist has to say on the current state of negotiations.
Hard lefty Jeremy Corbyn has a 22 pt lead in the UK Labour leadership race. The Labour Party Blairites are definitely not happy.
We are giving away the shop and we don’t know what if anything we will get in terms of dairy access yet. Our negotiators have signaled that they are weak. And even if we get what we want it is probably worth bugger all anyway.
The Chinese Stock market sell off has started again a couple of weeks after rather desperate measure were put in place. The question has to be what will the Government do now?
Rod Oram looks at the way the regions are stifled in his Sunday Star Times piece.
National Party delegates were greeted at their conference today by a sea of crosses representing the 291 workers who have died on the job since the Pike River disaster.
This was the week from hell for National when they experienced the Serco fiasco, news that they responded to a suggestion they close a failing Charter School by giving it more money, the Judicial spanking of their undermining of the Problem Gambling Foundation and the ruling that their legislation removing the rights of some prisoners to vote was a breach of the country’s human rights.
Recent focus has been on the tragedy and incompetence of a Serco run private prison. But problems extend further than that, into the entire way NZ views its prison system. We need fundamental penal reform.
The Nats have been forced to call in the good old-fashioned state to clear up Serco’s mess.
The CTU’s excellent campaign to get a stronger version of National’s post-Pike River Health and Safety law has produced this excellent video, and you can sign to support Iain Lees-Galloway’s amendments to improve the bill.
The Friday afternoon bad news dump is on with news that Education Minister was recommended to close a poorly performing charter school. She has elected not to do so and to instead give the school extra money.
