The Standard

workers’ rights

Categories under workers’ rights

Only unsustainable net migration fuels “growth”

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, September 2nd, 2016 - 107 comments

Our National dipshit ministers have decided to start a new growth industry. They importing low-skilled to extract their savings, using them to generate artificial heat in the service economy and to slow wage growth. On the way through they’re also screwing the housing market. Our current net permanent long-term migration is completely unsustainable. Perhaps it is time to vote NZ First?

World Water Week

Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, September 1st, 2016 - 11 comments

Never heard of it? Neither had I.

Labour’s Auckland Push

Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, August 30th, 2016 - 57 comments

Matt McCarten is to head a new Labour party office in Auckland. The party is going to take to fight to National in the city that decides the election. Yet another bold step from Andrew Little, who is looking more and more like the next PM.

Last chance to sign the equal pay petition

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, August 29th, 2016 - Comments Off on Last chance to sign the equal pay petition

New Zealand’s record is shameful. It is long past time or equal pay. You can sign the petition here.

Robertson: Lessons from the Future of Work Commission

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, August 26th, 2016 - 10 comments

Robertson: “What is the economic paradigm that will meet the challenge of world of less secure work, more automation?”

Watershit Down

Written By: - Date published: 7:37 pm, August 22nd, 2016 - 121 comments

John Key has announced an inquiry into the Havelock North water crisis. But has it been set up to fail the residents of the Central Hawkes Bay?

Hickey on immigration and wages

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, August 22nd, 2016 - 79 comments

Hickey: “The best way for an economy to grow is for the market to allow wages to grow. Allowing a flood of low-skilled migrants is frustrating that market mechanism with the short-term aim of keeping wages low for employers.”

Take back our communities and create Jobs That Count

Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, August 21st, 2016 - 22 comments

So often we lose sight of the fact that local government is about much, much more than rates. We’re launching a Jobs That Count ticket to change that.

Grant Robertson on the adjusted unemployment figure

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 17th, 2016 - 206 comments

“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.”

Richard Wagstaff: “Things need to change”

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, August 16th, 2016 - 20 comments

The inaugural CTU organisers’ conference is being held in Auckland this week, bringing together organisers from across the CTU affiliated unions to discuss the future of the movement. CTU President Richard Wagstaff opened the conference this morning. E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou koutoa. Welcome […]

Spark – kudos

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, August 15th, 2016 - 30 comments

Our wages are too low generally, and this is one of the main economic challenges that we face. A few more employers committing to paying a living wage would be a good place to start.

Legalize It

Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, August 12th, 2016 - 95 comments

Is it time for a referendum on marijuana? There is strong support for the use of medicinal marijuana. Should we just admit that Kiwis like smoking dope and simply legalise it?

Left Side Story: What do New Zealanders actually earn?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 12th, 2016 - 91 comments

Reprinted with permission, by Deborah Russell from Left Side Story: What do New Zealanders actually earn? And why we need to understand these figures.

Why are wages flat?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 9th, 2016 - 179 comments

The Nats would have you believe that the economy is in good shape, in which case there is no excuse for the ongoing stagnation of wages. Of course it’s not as simple as that.

Employers failing Kiwsaver obligations

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, August 5th, 2016 - 35 comments

In a sign of just how stressed our economy is: “Inland Revenue is chasing employers for unpaid KiwiSaver contributions worth tens of millions of dollars.”

Pack Mentality

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, August 4th, 2016 - 55 comments

The Waikato Chiefs rugby franchise have admitted two incidents of abuse at a drunken post season celebration. Their response to claims of sexual abuse? Blame the victim.

EDIT: The CEO accepts he got it wrong and has made a modern ‘if offence was taken’ style apology on Radio Sport. No direct apology to the woman concerned, however.

Talleys versus Free Speech

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, July 29th, 2016 - 33 comments

The Talley group want the courts to order a union to stop telling the truth about how they bully, maim and kill their workers. Will the Standard be next in the firing line?

Democracy and Dunne

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, July 19th, 2016 - 32 comments

The union movement’s digital campaign arm – Together – has sent out the following email asking for support to put Peter Dunne on the spot with his electorate over Easter Trading.

Helen Kelly; A Work of Art.

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 pm, July 7th, 2016 - 18 comments

The NZ Portrait Gallery’s latest work is of unionist Helen Kelly. It’s great.

National’s strike-breaking fail

Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, July 5th, 2016 - 23 comments

The Police want no part of the Nats’ plan to use them as airport security. Perhaps instead of bungled attempts at strike-breaking the Nats should consider – dealing fairly with aviation security staff concerns?

“Died at some point in the recycling process”

Written By: - Date published: 6:39 pm, July 4th, 2016 - 39 comments

Imagine taking shelter on a cold night and ending up crushed or asphyxiated to death in a compressed cardboard recycling bale.

This is why we need a living wage

Written By: - Date published: 3:25 pm, June 30th, 2016 - 60 comments

It is tragic that a family working 80 hours a week cannot make ends meet.

The Herald says you don’t want a pay rise

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, June 23rd, 2016 - 32 comments

You might be surprised to learn this, but you don’t want a pay rise.

Stopping the clock

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 pm, June 22nd, 2016 - 21 comments

John Key’s refused to stop the clock on Kiwi workers losing a million dollars a day. That’s a mistake.

Pay up Compass

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, June 21st, 2016 - 39 comments

Not only has Compass being serving below quality food to hospital patients but it appears that they may not have paid some long term employees what they are entitled to.

90 day trial – no lie too outrageous for National

Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, June 18th, 2016 - 52 comments

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!

Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, June 17th, 2016 - 104 comments

Or not. More National ideology burned to the ground by facts.

Taihoa on Immigration?

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, June 7th, 2016 - 213 comments

Winston Peters has called for a slashing of migrant worker numbers and for screening of would be workers based on things like their attitude to women. Is it time for a taihoa on immigration or is Winston just doing a Trump?

The election campaign, the $6,000 toaster and the media beat up

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, June 5th, 2016 - 24 comments

In Australia in the midst of the election campaign an ordinary Australian, Duncan Storrar, talked publicly about how difficult it was to live and support his children on the minimum wage.  The response of the right through News Corp was to attack and humiliate him.

Vaccines DO Cause Autism Shock!

Written By: - Date published: 7:29 pm, June 2nd, 2016 - 266 comments

A young Mexican scientist has compiled compelling evidence about the link between vaccines and autism. Not only does 12 year old Marco Arturo provide a comprehensive overview of the dangers, he also brilliantly channels Barack Obama. The best two minutes on the net today.

Family or Shopping?

Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, May 31st, 2016 - 50 comments

The union movement is petitioning Peter Dunne and Te Ururoa Flavell to put families ahead of shopping and vote to protect Easter Sunday. You can click here to join them.