Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, July 30th, 2023 - 31 comments
My 2c on what I think Chris Hipkins needs to do to win this year’s election.
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, March 16th, 2023 - 10 comments
The Government needs to come to the table and ensure teacher pay keeps pace with the rising cost of putting food on the table, paying the rent, and keeping the house warm.
But, it’s important to remember that this is not just about pay. There are serious issues around funding and understaffing, ratios and sick leave.
Teanau Tuiono
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, February 28th, 2023 - 97 comments
Rob Campbell is under some pressure from National and Act for calling out publicly the right’s dog whistle attacks on co governance. But so far self appointed protector of the right to freedom of speech, the Free Speech Union, has been very quiet. Why is this?
Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, January 23rd, 2023 - 104 comments
Given the real causes of high inflation, the idea that the answer to inflation is to cut wages, cut employment, and cut public services is ridiculous. It’s more than ridiculous. It’s immoral.
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, January 11th, 2023 - 87 comments
Throughout my time being active in politics, people have discussed the rise of Neo-Liberalism and the free market that occurred throughout much of the world from the late 1970s onwards. Yet few seem to really understand the reasons for this significant shift in economic policy at that time, which continues to shape our society today.
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, November 2nd, 2022 - 148 comments
Chris Luxon has avoided answering this question so far but he needs to be asked continuously about it. Is it fair that he as Prime Minister would receive under National’s proposed tax cuts a tax cut of $349 per week while a minimum wage worker would receive only $2.15 per week
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, October 27th, 2022 - 43 comments
Yesterday was a big day for the Progressive movement in Aotearoa New Zealand as the Fair Pay Agreements Bill made its way through Parliament. Many should be thanked but especially Michael Wood and Helen Kelly.
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, October 24th, 2022 - 13 comments
Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, October 3rd, 2022 - 36 comments
A list of improvements in workers’ rights that Labour has been able to achieve since gaining power in 2017.
Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, September 15th, 2022 - 47 comments
Ken Douglas was a big man, in every sense of the word, and a great man, deeply involved in his community right through his life, from the Drivers’ Union to the Porirua City Council.
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, August 15th, 2022 - 101 comments
Recent incidents involving Labour MP Gaurav Sharma are evidence of poor relationships with staff and not anything more sinister.
Written By: - Date published: 1:25 pm, August 14th, 2022 - 76 comments
With recent allegations of bullying of staff hitting the media it is important to understand the relationship between a Member of Parliament and their Parliamentary Services staff.
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, June 25th, 2022 - 30 comments
In the UK Rail Maritime and Transport boss Mick Lynch has caused a media sensation by strongly and clearly advocating for workers rights as the Conservative Government aims to deal with inflation by eroding further workers wages and job conditions.
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, June 13th, 2022 - 10 comments
BusinessNZ’s attempt to put New Zealand on the ILO naughty list because of fair pay agreements has failed.
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, May 17th, 2022 - 18 comments
Business NZ has claimed that the proposed Fair Play legislation breaches International Labour Law and that the International Labour Organisation agrees with it. But its claims appear to be on the wrong side of what we could politely describe as the truth.
Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, April 29th, 2022 - 157 comments
The tide of this government is running out. There’s 18 months left in the term. What would you save?
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, April 6th, 2022 - 15 comments
You get to a point – and Ardern must be close – where the most you can do is hang on.
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, February 2nd, 2022 - 107 comments
With Ardern getting a good-old media beat-down, remember here’s how to change a country for good like no one else but Labour can.
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 pm, January 8th, 2022 - 12 comments
The Helen Kelly biography by Rebacca Macfie provides a clear and intense overview of what has happened to New Zealand society over the past 40 years from a time of high union membership and equality to now where unions struggle and inequality is significant.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, December 28th, 2021 - 2 comments
What Starts off in Support of Alabama’s Miners turns into a homily from Beau on the power of getting community change going when and only when you have the organisational power to pull it off month after month after month.
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, December 11th, 2021 - 48 comments
BusinessNZ and Federated Farmers have this week attacked the Government for intending to implement policy designed to improve the plight of poorly paid workers.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 30th, 2021 - 28 comments
NZNO members who work in district health boards (DHBs) have voted by clear majority to reject the latest offer in their negotiations with the DHBs, saying it fails to address the chronic and systemic safe staffing issues in a way that would ensure and protect the future of the health system.
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, June 20th, 2021 - 59 comments
One of the details announced in the budget was funding to explore a ‘social unemployment insurance’ scheme. This scheme has been pushed by the Council of Trade Unions and Business NZ, which will work with the Government in a newly set-up Tripartite Working Party. When we dig into it though, we realise it is no safety net. It’s a parachute that slows our drop, giving us time, before we hit that real net – down so far below.
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, May 13th, 2021 - 29 comments
Outrage at suggestions that nurses, teachers, social workers, and doctors were not worthy of a pay rise this year has been swift.
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, May 12th, 2021 - 34 comments
Some good news from yesterday. The Government has decided to walk back earlier comments suggesting a wage freeze for teachers and nurses.
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, May 8th, 2021 - 34 comments
Yesterday Minister of Labour Michael Wood led the announcement of a policy that conceivably could do more to address the decline in workers wages and conditions over the past 40 years than anything else tried recently.
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, May 6th, 2021 - 45 comments
A few of us on the left have issues with the public service wage freeze announced yesterday. By setting the salary level so low, at $60,000 per annum, the threat is that previous gains for teachers and nurses will be undermined.
Written By: - Date published: 3:24 pm, March 31st, 2021 - 50 comments
Chris Trotter recently asked the question about why there isn’t more resistance to the degree of inequality that we face in New Zealand. He’s partially right, we do spend an awfully amount of time arguing with each other about matters of smaller and smaller moment while inequality slides downhill from glacier to avalanche. But intersectionalism isn’t the primary cause of activist cooling.
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 31st, 2021 - 5 comments
Auckland Council has released the Ports of Auckland Independent Health and Safety Report and the recommendations are damning.
Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, February 12th, 2021 - 39 comments
Managed isolation facility cleaners, who the country desperately relies on, are struggling to survive on low wages while performing an absolutely vital role.
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, October 26th, 2020 - 41 comments
Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!
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