New Zealand鈥檚 Unite union has made great progress in recent years in organising previously unorganised sectors of workers 鈥 often young workers in fast food, hospitality and retail. Through organising workers, Unite has forced fast food giants, such as McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut, to eradicate 鈥測outh wages鈥, which pay young workers less for the same work.
Aotearoa New Zealand
Matt McCarten is the secretary of New Zealand鈥檚 fastest growing union, Unite. The union organises fast-food workers, cleaners, hotel, casino, security and part-time staff. It has a financial membership of 8000 members.
The transient nature of these industries means Unite has an annual membership turnover of 66%. It recruits about 600 new members every month.
鈥淚n a daring and audacious move, Matt McCarten, general secretary of the Unite union, announced his candidacy in the November 20, Mana by-election in Wellington鈥, Unite campaigns organiser Joe Carolan said in an October 26 Socialist Aotearoa article.
Carolan said McCarten 鈥渉as had a quarter of century experience fighting for New Zealand鈥檚 poorest workers 鈥 standing as a member of the independent left, he would make an excellent champion for the thousands of low-paid and unemployed workers in Mana鈥.
In a daring and audacious move, Matt McCarten, General Secretary of the Unite Union, announced his candidacy in the Mana By Election in Wellington earlier today.
鈥淗istory was made early today on the other side of the world鈥, said Grant Morgan, an Auckland-based organiser of the Kia Ora Gaza convoy bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of Israel鈥檚 siege. Kia Ora is a six-person New Zealand team that has joined the Viva Palestina covoy.
鈥淭he vicious Israeli siege of Gaza has been broken by an international aid convoy of 400 volunteers from 30 countries driving 150 vehicles carrying vital medical supplies worth NZ$7 million.鈥
About 15,000 New Zealand workers joined the 鈥淔airness at Work鈥 National Day of Action on October 20, highlighting growing opposition to the government's proposed employment law changes, said the country鈥檚 largest private sector union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU).
During UN Disarmament Week (October 24-31), a bill to enact the UN Convention banning Cluster Munitions is to be tabled in the House of Representatives. However, it is unlikely to contain a provision prohibiting financial institutions from funding manufacturers of cluster bombs.
It has been found that the ANZ bank has provided loans of $136.5 million to producers of cluster bombs.
Comparisons must be made between the impact of the September 5 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the quake that hit Haiti in January.
In Haiti 鈥 with a population of about 9 million 鈥 about 250,000 people died in the earthquake. According to government figures, 200,000 were injured and 1 million were made homeless.
Eight months later, disaster still grips people鈥檚 lives.
Fortunately, but in staggering contrast, no lives were lost in New Zealand, although the earthquake was of a similar 鈥 but slightly more powerful 鈥 magnitude (7 on the Richter scale).
The call for action against New Zealand-owned Burger Fuel chain for anti-worker practices below is reprinted from . Campaigners have called for international action targetting Burger Fuel, which has two Sydney stores in Newtown and Kings Cross. Campaigners have called for coordinated pickets of Burger Fuel stores on Saturday, September 4.
New Zealand鈥檚 National Party-led government announced on July 18 a law that would allow bosses to fire new workers at will, restrict access to unions, cut workers鈥 entitlements to sick leave and holidays, and remove the right to appeal against unfair sackings. On August 21, unions will respond with rallies across the country.
The two most significant aspects of the government鈥檚 plans are the extension of 90-day 鈥渢rial period鈥 and a requirement for union organisers to gain permission from employers before visiting union members or potential recruits on the job.
Labour history was made as New Zealand had its first mall workers strike on May 25. Workers in JB Hi-Fi in Albany, organised with the Unite union, went on strike for better pay and against a culture of bullying and intimidation against union members. Unite had already organised the first strike at a JB Hi Fi store on April 16. Unite member Jack Lucas said: 鈥淥ur manager told me that I would never get a pay rise if I stayed with the collective. There was a lot of pressure put on me to resign.
Labour history was made when New Zealand had its first shopping mall workers strike on May 25. Workers in JB Hi-Fi in Albany, organised by the militant Unite union, went on strike for better pay and against a culture of bullying and intimidation against union members.
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