Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, March 21st, 2015 - 34 comments
Labour, in 1984, with Richard Prebble and Roger Douglas, promised that if we adopted their prescription we would have a “Brighter Future”. Ruth Richardson in the 90’s promised a “Brighter Future”. Again in 2014 John Key’s National promises a “Brighter Future”.
A “Brighter Future”. For whom?
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, March 16th, 2015 - 81 comments
The blogosphere leads the way in breaking a story about yet another sack of cash for MPs …
Written By: - Date published: 12:18 pm, March 7th, 2015 - 42 comments
Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. In New Zealand the gender pay gap is growing – perhaps because National abolished the Department of Labour’s Pay and Employment Equity Unit.
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, March 6th, 2015 - 11 comments
For details of protest action nearest to you check out the itsourfuture website.
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, March 6th, 2015 - 7 comments
When Michael Woodhouse and the bosses’ lobby are talking about “workplace flexibility”, you know who’s flexing their muscles.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, March 5th, 2015 - 17 comments
For someone responsible for managing employment relations in New Zealand, Michael Woodhouse doesn’t seem to understand what “employment relations” means.
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, March 5th, 2015 - 8 comments
Today is not a good day for workers. Employment law changes that take effect today weaken workers’ rights and will result in more cases of zero-hour contract “excesses”. Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway has been doing good work on this issue (sign the petition). In contrast National’s position now appears confused, with Workplace Relations & Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse acknowledging problems even as today’s changes make matters worse.
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, March 4th, 2015 - 61 comments
Zero hour contracts are the logical end point of National’s agenda for employment legislation. But last night Workplace Relations & Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse promised legislation to “prohibit the worst excesses”. “Excesses” in the free market – who would have thought?
Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, March 3rd, 2015 - 80 comments
Danyl at the Dim-Post has looked more closely at the decision to award a worker $168k over a cake and a Facebook post – and what it tells us about National’s employment law reforms.
Written By: - Date published: 4:41 pm, March 2nd, 2015 - 82 comments
Key has folded on MPs’ pay rises. Vernon Small and others are covering events on Twitter.
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, March 2nd, 2015 - 64 comments
The release of the candidate donation returns has shown us that the National Party are still rorting the system. However, there are issues for the NZ Labour Party as well. Four MP’s have taken money from sources that do not have the interests of the Labour party or, indeed, the majority of Kiwis at heart. Brassneck or bought and sold?
Written By: - Date published: 1:19 pm, February 26th, 2015 - 64 comments
Its 100 days since the NZ Labour Party elected Andrew Little as its leader. What an inspired decision that has turned out to be! Little has galvanised the party, united the caucus and looks set to be the next PM. How has he turned Labour around?
Written By: - Date published: 4:16 pm, February 25th, 2015 - 7 comments
Yesterday the families lost only a small bit of the battle for justice at Pike in an application to get some of the documentation on the Peter Whittall decision. It is clear from the decision that the process of filing itself caused MBIE to agree to release a number of the key documents.
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, February 17th, 2015 - 54 comments
Celebrate International Right to Strike Day on 18 February by sending a message to Kiwi employers: stop undermining our right to strike!
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, February 12th, 2015 - 92 comments
Zero-hour contracts are the perfect illustration of when “flexibility” in employment relations goes all one way.
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, February 5th, 2015 - 49 comments
The Productivity Commission has a new report out which looks at changes in the labour income share, or LIS, from 1978 to 2010. The labour income share is described in the report’s summary as: The labour income share (LIS) measures the split of national income between workers who supply labour and the owners of capital. […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, February 5th, 2015 - 9 comments
Darien Fenton at Jobs That Count brings us the details of the fight for decent pay and conditions at Talley’s meat processing plants
Written By: - Date published: 2:27 pm, February 4th, 2015 - 40 comments
We need a much better analysis of what kinds of jobs and conditions are out there in NZ, crude figures are not telling us enough.
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, January 30th, 2015 - 163 comments
A by-election is imminent – so how does Labour win in a safe National seat?
Written By: - Date published: 1:34 pm, January 28th, 2015 - 43 comments
The choice is clear.
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, January 1st, 2015 - 21 comments
A July 2013 post by Helen Kelly was about Daniel Rockhouse who survived the Pike River Mine disaster, and then rescued Russell Smith. Yesterday Daniel Rockhouse got a bravery award. Read Kelly’s 2013 post here.
Written By: - Date published: 6:50 pm, December 29th, 2014 - 36 comments
How can young unemployed people get help in finding a job, when they have been trying to get one for some time?
Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, December 24th, 2014 - 71 comments
The smug middle class National voter seems oblivious to how close they are to financial hardship…
Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, December 24th, 2014 - 28 comments
The UK Green Party is gaining in popularity as many people turn away from the 3 established parties. The radical left Syriza party in Greece could possibly gain power in their election – what powerful international right wing forces would then be unleashed?
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, December 22nd, 2014 - 33 comments
A new report shows that Steven Joyce’s MBIE fiefdom is failing miserably. Meanwhile the MBIE is under fire for the major cost blow out of the Sky City Casino deal – another deal with Joyce’s imprints all over it.
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, December 17th, 2014 - 20 comments
The Meatworkers Union today launch a campaign for Jobs That Count – to try to get better conditions for these marginalised workers who face it all – seasonal work, dangerous jobs, casual and zero hours contracts and anti-union pressure.
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, December 12th, 2014 - 16 comments
On RNZ this morning PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff criticised Bill English for his misleading rhetoric about rises in “average wages”. NZ’s income and wealth gaps have increased in recent decades. The lowest income remain low; the top earners get big salary increases.
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, December 10th, 2014 - 18 comments
Colin James has an excellent piece on the housing market. Simon Collins has a piece on the implications on young renters. Meanwhile, a number of other big problems are being ignored by National as well.
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 10th, 2014 - 41 comments
Another day of shame for the New Zealand Government. as they march us in lockstep…….
Towards the sort of police State we used to fight.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, December 2nd, 2014 - 6 comments
The second annual Child Poverty Monitor was released today. bsprout on Local Bodies on poverty and inequalities in Invercargill, “provides a good snapshot of New Zealand society”.
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, December 1st, 2014 - 30 comments
Another example of a bad employer unfairly docking a worker’s pay. But this worker was a union member…
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