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Economy

Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour

Categories under Economy

Sheepgate inquiry

Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, August 18th, 2015 - 23 comments

The Auditor-General will hold an inquiry to be held into Saudi sheep deal

MSD household incomes report

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, August 18th, 2015 - 7 comments

While we devote acres of pixels to flag distractions and “celebrity” nonsense, the health of the nation goes largely unremarked. Was there any MSM coverage of the latest Ministry of Social Development report – Household Incomes in New Zealand: trends in indicators of inequality and hardship 1982 to 2014?

Earth overshoot day

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, August 17th, 2015 - 22 comments

August 13th was Earth Overshoot Day. We have already consumed what the Earth can sustainably produce in a year, for the rest of this year we are consuming “ecological capital”. This can’t go on. But it is a problem that our current political and economic systems cannot solve.

Labour is the party of economic competence

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, August 17th, 2015 - 147 comments

The old myth that National are good managers of the economy should now be well dead and buried. For a recent case study see Robertson vs Joyce on dairy prices…

TPPA Protest review

Written By: - Date published: 4:55 pm, August 15th, 2015 - 38 comments

An open post to cover  the TPPA protests today. In Auckland it was big and noisy with an estimated 10,000 plus people attending.  Congratulations to the organisers including Jane Kelsey and well done to everyone who turned up despite the weather.  There is a lot of anger building over this issue and I am sure the […]

Groser: an arrogant git with a tin ear

Written By: - Date published: 4:08 pm, August 15th, 2015 - 36 comments

I’m amazed about how ignorant Tim Groser is in his costly pursuit of the TTP. But his completely weird and idiotic remarks on how the ICT industry runs really do reach a new level of mindless – even for a fool from MFAT. The TTP will bring us no advantages, and are likely to cause major disruptions to the innovation that is driving the ICT export sector.

Unite wins back pay for KFC worker

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, August 15th, 2015 - 5 comments

After winning guaranteed hours for Restaurant Brands workers, UNITE has held KFC in Kaikohe to their contract.

Look at the future of families

Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, August 14th, 2015 - 51 comments

In South Korea the colliding intersection between economics, tradition and demographics is probably at its most extreme. However the same kinds of effects are being seen all over the developed world, and increasingly in parts of the underdeveloped world – and here.

National Ltd™ Enabling Corporate Murderers

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, August 14th, 2015 - 12 comments

But wait there’s more . . . National Ltd™’s attitude to worker safety has, it seems, been successfully installed into the very government agency responsible for holding employers to account for worker deaths.

#Sheepgate and the war of metaphor

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, August 12th, 2015 - 96 comments

The war of metaphor requires the continuous repetition of a simple statement in the hope it becomes the accepted truth.  Most of the time it works.  But with #sheepgate it is starting to unravel.

“A new union to fight for the future of work”

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, August 10th, 2015 - 48 comments

The two largest Labour Party affiliated unions are going to merge.

#Talleyban. Standard Exclusive: MWU Blacklisted by Boss

Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, August 10th, 2015 - 83 comments

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.

Zero by 50

Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, August 9th, 2015 - 139 comments

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…

National’s terrible deal making

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, August 9th, 2015 - 114 comments

A brief analysis of a number of deals that National has negotiated suggests that its reputation as a supposedly tough dealmaker is misplaced.

250 to 300 Job Losses at Unitec in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, August 8th, 2015 - 84 comments

Under Unitec’s new vision students will be known as Customers. Student services will be outsourced (overseas)

Aspiration statement
To be a world leader in contemporary applied learning and an agent of positive economic and social change
.

John Key’s brighter future

Written By: - Date published: 3:39 pm, August 7th, 2015 - 97 comments

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.

#Sheepgate – Key’s cheerleaders are sent in

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, August 7th, 2015 - 62 comments

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,

Stand with the AFFCO/Talley’s workers!

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, August 6th, 2015 - 41 comments

Next Monday 1,000 workers at Talley’s owned AFFCO will take strike action.

NZ First’s long predicted demise isn’t going to happen

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, August 6th, 2015 - 91 comments

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.

NRT: 43,000 unemployed under National

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, August 5th, 2015 - 93 comments

Unemployment has risen for two quarters in a row despite the optimistic Treasury forecasts.

# Talleyban

Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, August 4th, 2015 - 47 comments

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.

The real reason Solid Energy is failing

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, August 4th, 2015 - 37 comments

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.

Why did this take a private prosecution?

Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, August 4th, 2015 - 15 comments

The CTU win in a private prosecution over a forestry worker’s death. Where was WorkSafe?

Let’s Lynch the Landlord

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, August 3rd, 2015 - 53 comments

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.

Weekend reading for the Nats

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, August 3rd, 2015 - 14 comments

There were some good opinion pieces published over the weekend. Not comfortable reading for the Nats.

Deborah McMillan’s story

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 3rd, 2015 - 36 comments

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.

The modern precariat and the Unconditional Basic Income

Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, August 2nd, 2015 - 127 comments

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.

Absurdistan

Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, August 2nd, 2015 - 39 comments

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”.

TPPA hopefully sinking again

Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, August 1st, 2015 - 52 comments

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…

A thinking opposition

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, August 1st, 2015 - 56 comments

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.

The Future of…Jobs?

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, August 1st, 2015 - 78 comments

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.