National’s big economic policy announcement
Simon Bridges has claimed that the average wage earner in the country pays almost 33c in the dollar in taxes. Spoiler alert, they do not.
Economy
workers’ rights
Guest Post – What is wrong with the left?
Guest post from old maaaaate cans about recent Stuff guest columns attacking the left for not civilised enough and wondering if it is because of right wing insecurity.
What if Trump wins again?
We may as well prepare ourselves for Trump overperforming his popularity again and winning. We’ve had to deal with left’s retreat in most of the world in 2019. So let’s prepare and plot some likely accelerated changes in Trump’s second term.
Labour raise the minimum wage
“Around a quarter of million workers will be better off next year”
What next after the White Island silence?
At 2.11pm on Monday December 16, New Zealanders are being invited to hold a minute’s silence to respect those who have died in the White Island/Whakaari explosion. Once that’s over, it’s time to start turning to what might occur to prevent this kind of disaster happening again.
Helen Kelly, together
We need your help to tell Helen’s story to New Zealanders in places and to communities who will otherwise not be reached. Please host a screening during the first two weeks of February, get your people there, and ask them to spread the word wider.
Immigration: we can’t keep succumbing to fear tactics
The cost of capitalism
I feel like I am describing some future-set dystopian novel, and the scary thing is that the AI, transhumanism, technofascist society is just around the corner.
TWP – sorted?
A guest post from Chrissy Thomas on Te Whare Pounamu, Dunedin Women’s Refuge.
Trickle down fails yet again
Despite its continuous failure to work over the past 40 years trickle down remains a favourite justification by right wing administrations for allowing unfettered greed.
Unapologetic populism?
A Wall Street broker has accused Democratic nominee Elizabeth Warren of unapologetic populism in her desire to help workers, the environment, those with lower incomes, and women and minorities as if these are bad things.
Happy Labour day
Happy Labour day everyone. Have a great day. And don’t forget the importance of the Labour movement and of collective action in preserving and enhancing our quality of life.
Fire in the Sky – Smoke in the city
Joe Carolyn from Unite Union has posted on the effects of the Sky Convention Centre fire on workers at Sky City.
Why unions won’t give up on Fair Pay Agreements
The CTU has launched a campaign to raise awareness about a discussion paper released by the Government on fair pay agreements amongst media comment that government support may not be secure.
National tacks right
National has released its economic policies for the next 12 months and they have a decidedly backward feeling about them.
Do poor people and women exist in right wing economics land?
David Seymour has written a critique of Deborah Russel’s review of the hard right economic tome “Economics in one lesson”. And totally missed the point of what she was saying.
Five days is a long time in politics
Five days ago Simon Bridges predicted that unemployment had gone up. The latest figures show that the unemployment rate is at its lowest rate for the past eleven years. Update: My enthusiasm was too high. It has been pointed out to me that the Bridges tweet was from last year. My apologies to Simon …
When your Comms team goes rogue
Former UK Labour MP Jared O’Mara must be regretting not treating his staff better as his Comms adviser has announced his resignation via O’Mara’s own twitter account.
What happened to Hisco?
Stuff has published details of a sweetheart deal where David Hisco bought the ANZ owned property they were living in for a greatly reduced price. But was this good investigative work or a leak from within ANZ?
Results matter
Everyone knows that getting employers to increase rates of pay and improve conditions of work takes real pressure and the only real way working people can exert pressure, in the unbalanced relationship that exists between individual employees and employers, is by acting together; collectively. And that’s what we’ve been doing week in, week out and getting real results.
Bankers gonna bank
The former head of ANZ and the current owner of John Key’s Omaha property, David Hisco, has left the employment of the Bank in somewhat newsworthy circumstances.
What have Unions ever done for freeloaders?
Two teachers who support individual contracts and performance pay are upset that they are not going to immediately get the benefit the Teachers Unions negotiated for their members.
The Teachers’ strike
Teaching is approaching a crisis point. Sure it has taken 9 years of the last Government’s rule to wreck the system. But this Government is expected to repair quickly the damage that the last Government caused.
Parliament’s culture
The report into Parliament’s workplace culture has described behaviour that is of major concern.
The hard change of forestry
Forestry is forcing an important tilting point between mitigating climate change and land use, and it’s going to affect the viability of some North Island towns.
This Could Happen To You
For some reason, this story struck a nerve. An 80-year old had his 59-year career terminated by an impersonal e-mail from a faceless […]
Pike River re-entry delayed
Re-entry to the Pike River mine has been delayed so that a high oxygen reading from within the mine can be understood.
May Day
Press release from the NZCTU celebrating May day and noting imminent changes to employment laws.
Slushiegate
Simon Bridges has decided to attack Corrections management for installing slushie machines designed to help cool prison guards in full uniform and heavy stab proof vests on hot days.
The benefits of a Labour led Government
Today marks the day that the largest ever increase in the minimum wage will occur.
National’s Maggie Barry problem
The Herald has reported that there has been concerns at Maggie Barry’s behaviour towards staff has been raised on three separate occasions. And Parliamentary Services is at the suggestion of the Auditor General investigating claims of misuse of Parliamentary Services resources.
The handling of Pike River evidence was diabolical
The Pike River families have released an internal police document describing the handling of evidence from the crime scene as diabolical.
Lock ’em Up!?
Unionist and former MP Darien Fenton takes issue with a major weakness in our law. That’s the ability of guilty bosses to just ignore the rulings of the Employment Court. Can’t pay? Won’t pay!
Pike River mine evidence went missing
It has been alleged that a potentially vital piece of evidence in the Pike River mine fatality that may show the cause of the explosion may have gone missing.
Herald and Du Plessis-Allan present compelling argument in favour of industry wide bargaining
Heather Du Plessis-Allan has written as compelling an article in favour of the the Government’s proposed industry wide negotiations as you could ever think possible.
Westpac becomes accredited living wage employer
Westpac Bank has agreed to become an accredited living wage employer which means that its contractors as well as its staff are to be paid a living wage.