class war
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Meet the wharfies and their families
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, January 15th, 2012 - 157 comments
The Port of Auckland and its National Party allies would have you believe that the stevedores are monsters for not be willing to accept a 20% pay cut so that POA can try to undercut Port of Tauranga (where’s the ‘national interest’ in that, again?). But, let’s hear from these workers, and their families, as they struggle to protect their livelihood.
POAL, DPF, and the politics of envy
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, January 12th, 2012 - 142 comments
DPF has joined the chorus of overpaid righties calling for working people to have their pay cut.
That’s despite him being on a pretty good wicket himself.
What is it with the right and the politics of envy?
What’s really going on at Ports of Auckland 2
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, January 10th, 2012 - 256 comments
Since my post yesterday, Ports of Auckland has upped the ante threatening to sack all its workers and contract out (to quick and loud cheers from the National-aligned blogs they are working with – Cameron Slater’s rate is $10,000 for an operation like this). What they’re proposing is a breach of the law and wouldn’t work, but its just setting the scene for the next stage.
What’s really going on at Ports of Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 pm, January 9th, 2012 - 125 comments
The Right is up to its old tricks over the Ports of Auckland. It’s the usual pattern: make up some bullshit about how the workers are spoiled and unreasonable, cry that the sky will fall if the company doesn’t get its way, and (this is the long-game) suggest privatisation as the solution. What you haven’t heard is the cause of the ‘crisis’: the Port’s attempt to cut the workers’ conditions and pay.
The year of the protest
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, December 20th, 2011 - 38 comments
If that was the year of “The Protestor”, what did it accomplish? Is effective protest no longer possible in today’s world?
What a riot.
Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, December 17th, 2011 - 14 comments
A quick post on sentences handed down in the wake of riots in England.
Petty politics as usual on poverty
Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, December 15th, 2011 - 37 comments
Key is playing petty politics as usual on poverty. He should have accepted Shearer’s call for a cross party process and his offer of help on the new “ministerial poverty committee”.
The Most Important Economic Speech of His Presidency
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, December 10th, 2011 - 40 comments
Truth-Out content is licensed for redistribution, so I’m going to repost this excellent piece in its entirety. It’s long, but it’s worth it. Is Obama going to grow a pair at last?
The long game on charter schools & national standards
Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, December 7th, 2011 - 57 comments
Charter schools and national standards/league tables are part of the same process. It’s about siphoning off public funds, the best pupils, and the best teachers into ‘elite’ schools, and leaving everyone else behind. It’s about cutting money for ‘failing’ schools and ‘failing’ students. It ultimately means more lost potential and a poorer NZ, but one that serves the elite’s interests.
Support locked-out CMP workers tomorrow
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, December 2nd, 2011 - 14 comments
Six weeks ago CMP workers were locked out for refusing to accept a 20% pay cut.
Tomorrow there will be fundraising protests around the country to support them.
Law firm sets out business wish list
Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, December 1st, 2011 - 97 comments
Law firm Chapman Tripp has taken it upon itself to summarise the business community’s expectations for National’s second term. Back to youth rates, and that’s just for starters.
Listen to us – Homebrew
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, November 25th, 2011 - 2 comments
We’ve been getting links to this song for a week or two. Wish I’d gotten round to posting it earlier. Just fantastic.
Hiding in his mansion/While half the population flies across the Tasman/The other half try to act like it’s not happening
There’s no depression in New Zealan’/ Just a slow sinking feelin’
Racism more than skin deep for Nats
Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, November 25th, 2011 - 16 comments
This post originally appeared on the Hand Mirror and we reproduce it with their permission. It is an account of a National Party meeting in the Wairarapa, and a stark reminder of the dark heart of the Right that hates and fears anything different, which wants a New Zealand built for a rich, Pakeha, male, straight business-owning elite.
Keeping the help in line
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 pm, November 24th, 2011 - 37 comments
Keeping up brand Key means keeping the help in line.
Just pity the poor buggers that have to help hold that facade up.
Wall St Occupation evicted
Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, November 16th, 2011 - 14 comments
As has been widely reported, the Wall Street occupation at Zuccotti Park was evicted in an overnight raid yesterday. By refocusing media attention on the Occupation, will this eviction only make them stronger?
A new type of coup?
Written By: - Date published: 5:27 pm, November 13th, 2011 - 36 comments
In the old days soldiers marched onto the floor of parliament with fixed bayonets to replace governments and frustrate the popular will.
Now it is being done differently
Creating opportunities
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, November 13th, 2011 - 16 comments
The Nats admit that they’ve failed to close the gap between rich and poor. In fact, of course, it’s getting worse. Bill English says they’ve “created opportunities”, which is Tory speak for doing nothing at all.
State house evictions
Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, November 12th, 2011 - 54 comments
In 2005 Labour wrote to State House tenants with a warning “Don’t let National sell your house.” We were criticised for scaring people. Now Tamaki residents have got the real letters. And the boot. Same old National.
Treasury on the minimum wage
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, November 11th, 2011 - 35 comments
Labour want to raise the minimum wage to $15. The Nats say that will cost jobs (they want to lower the minimum wage instead). Documents obtained by 3 News show that Treasury think the Nats are wrong. A vote for increasing the minimum wage will not cost jobs.
Vote to keep us rich & you poor
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, November 9th, 2011 - 19 comments
The first of the CTU’s online election ads.
Are we a caring country?
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, November 9th, 2011 - 125 comments
Nothing separates the political Right and Left like their attitude to welfare. The difference is very starkly highlighted in the recent policies from National and Labour. Which approach better serves the children of New Zealand? How much do we care?
Labour’s fantastic children’s policy
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, November 8th, 2011 - 272 comments
Labour released its excellent children’s policy yesterday that will lift 150,000 children out of poverty and enhance families’ quality of life. The Right is wailing. Fuck ’em. They’ve turned a blind eye while 32,000 more kids have fallen into poverty. Only a Labour-led government will have the policies for a truly brighter future for all Kiwis, especially our kids.
Praise for the Occupation movement
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 pm, November 7th, 2011 - 15 comments
In an Editorial that would not have been out of place as a post on ‘The Standard’ The Herald praises the Occupiers of city squares around the country, (and around the world).
Insight on poverty
Written By: - Date published: 6:56 am, November 7th, 2011 - 49 comments
Sunday morning’s RNZ Insight program was an excellent examination of poverty in NZ. Labour’s policies were slowly reducing poverty. National’s are making it worse again. How much do we care?
The impact of right wing economics
Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, November 6th, 2011 - 32 comments
1980 saw the election of Ronald Regan as US president. On taking office at the start of 1981 he ushered in a package of right wing economic policies that soon picked up the nick-name “Reganomics”. How did that work out for workers and for inequality?
Dr David Suzuki message to the world
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, November 3rd, 2011 - 4 comments
This address from Dr David Suzuki to the world, delivered to a gathering at Occupy Vancouver, attracted some attention in comments yesterday. Well worth watching.
Evicting Occupy Dunedin
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, November 2nd, 2011 - 20 comments
Yesterday was a dramatic day for Occupy Dunedin. A trespass eviction deadline of 8pm came and went, but after a big show of public support, the Occupation is still there. Dunedin North Labour candidate David Clark lends his support to the movement.
National’s welfare policy
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, November 1st, 2011 - 48 comments
National’s got 60,000 more on benefits after 3 years. Nats’ plan: get 46,000 off in 4 years (only 11,000 into work, the rest?)
So, National’s welfare plan = 14,000 more on benefits 7 years after coming to power. Ambitious for New Zealand?
Where’s National plan to reduce corporate welfare? Like the $400m free irrigation they want to give farmers and keeping them out of the ETS.
National’s plan to screw workers some more
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, October 28th, 2011 - 89 comments
John Key has announced National’s IR policy and it’s all about cutting back workers negotiating power.
The message from Key is clear – big business might have made this recession but you’re the ones who are gonna pay for it.
Nats want to cut wages
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, October 28th, 2011 - 25 comments
The Nats want to extend the new entrants wage from 200hrs/3 months to 6 months. Won’t create jobs. Most businesses don’t bother with the new entrants wage anyway. word is, though, that the NE wage is a red herring. The guts of the policy will be a broad-spectrum on the rights of workers to organise and bargain designed to drive down wages
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