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.
Aotearoa New Zealand
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.
The following joint statement of solidarity has been signed by a number of left and progressive organisations, in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. If your organisation would like to sign on, please email international@socialist-alliance.org
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Support the struggle for democracy and social justice in Nepal
May 6, 2010
JB Hi-Fi staff at the company鈥檚 Wellington store have engaged in a series of strikes and protests as part of a campaign by the Unite union to win higher wages for retail workers. The strikes are the first at one of the company's stores in either Australia or New Zealand in over 27 years of the company's history.
The Unite Union has been negotiating with JB Hi-Fi management for over six months for a collective agreement but the Australian bosses are refusing to raise wages for staff this year.
A huge crowd of 50,000 people marched in Auckland on May 1 against the New Zealand government鈥檚 plans to allow mining in the country鈥檚 national parks. It was New Zealand鈥檚 biggest protest march in living memory.
Greenpeace ambassador Robyn Malcolm said: 鈥淔or nearly 50,000 Kiwis to turn out and be prepared to speak with one voice, must tell the government something ... Our land will always be more important to our identity than some extra dollars in the pockets of mining companies.鈥
The Residents聮 Action Movement has been growing rapidly in the last month (with around 100-300 people joining per week) as a result of the popularity of their key campaign 聴 to remove the 12.5% goods and services tax on food.
Below is a statement from the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Visit http://space4peace.org.
In a May 1 statement, Socialist Worker-New Zealand hailed the developing revolution in Venezuela, arguing it would have a profound impact on not just world politics, but on the international socialist movement. It urged all socialists to relate to the mass revolutionary movement headed by President Hugo Chavez, and in particular expressed solidarity with the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), a party of revolutionary militants being constructed to advance the revolution. SW-NZ urged socialists around the world to build solidarity with the revolution and seek to use the inspiration and example of the gains in Venezuela to advance the global struggle for 鈥渟ocialism of the 21st Century鈥.
麻豆传媒 Weekly鈥檚 Bronwyn Jennings, spoke with Vaughan Gunson, an activist with Socialist Worker (Aotearoa), which actively participates in the Residents Action Movement, about RAM鈥檚 activities in defence of peoples鈥 rights and against corporate greed.
Starting on October 15, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service officers and police began raids on the homes of environmental, unionist and Maori activists in an unprecedented police action allegedly in response to a 鈥渢errorist鈥 threat. Peter Robson from 麻豆传媒 Weekly spoke to New Zealand-based activist Joe Carolan, who is involved with the Civil Rights Defence Committee (CRDC), the Solidarity union, and is a member of the national executive of Socialist Worker, about the raids and who is affected by them.
Carrying signs reading 聯Police are the real terrorists聰 and 聯Free all political activists聰, up to 1000 people rallied outside the Rotorua District Court on October 25 to protest against police raids that resulted in the arrest of 17 people a week earlier, as three of those arrested had their court cases transferred to Auckland.
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