Posts by Denise Roche

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  Banksie and I slept together, but I bet he won’t remember that - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  As the Green Party spokesperson on Waste, of course I agree with recycling. But ACT MP and former Auckland City Council Mayor and former National Cabinet Minister John Banks has been recycled so many times that he’s long past his use-by date.  The latest revelations of his dodgy dealings to keep donations from SkyCity and [...] read more
  May 2, 2012 1:40 pm - 7 Comments
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  Meat workers are doing their share for New Zealand - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  While all eyes have been on the Ports of Auckland and SkyCity, another important dispute has been unfolding. For over two months, more than 1300 Talley’s-Affco meat workers have been locked out of their workplaces by their employer.  Two days of mediated bargaining began today. Up to 5,000 children in places like Moerewa, Horotiu, Rangiuru, [...] read more
  April 30, 2012 11:11 am - 15 Comments
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  Where does John Banks stand on SkyCity dirty deal? - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Here’s how the votes look likely to stack up on John Key’s dirty deal under which SkyCity would get a relaxation of casino gambling laws and an increase in their pokie machine numbers in return for building a new convention centre in Auckland. For: National + United Future = 60 Against: Greens + Labour + [...] read more
  April 5, 2012 11:21 am - 12 Comments
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  All’s not well in Auckland - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Poor Auckland! I hate it when the Government meddles in our city. It was bad enough that we had a forced amalgamation of our local councils to create the supercity. Now we have the Prime Minister selling our law to increase the number of pokies at SkyCity casino in exchange for a mega convention centre. read more
  March 28, 2012 1:55 pm - 5 Comments
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  Better Public Services – or just round two of slash and burn? - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Today the Government released its vision for public sector reform. Prime Minister John Key has announced major reforms including the establishment of a super-ministry – the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – merging the Ministries of Economic Development, Science and innovation, the Department of Labour, and, somewhat strangely, the Department of Building and Housing. [...] read more
  March 15, 2012 3:03 pm - 4 Comments
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  Rally for sacked workers – Saturday - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Tomorrow I’ll be joining the rally starting at 4pm at Britomart to march with the sacked Ports of Auckland Maritime Workers Union members and their families to the gateway of the Port at Teal Park. Like the city councillor from my area Mike Lee I’m sickened by the approach the board and management of the [...] read more
  March 9, 2012 11:31 am - 35 Comments
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  Not just pin money – the value of women’s work - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  At the first wage negotiations I was ever involved in, the employer of a national chain of cinemas referred to the income of his mainly women staff as ‘pin money.’  He basically suggested that because they were women, his staff didn’t really need a decent hourly rate of pay.  That was 27 years ago, but [...] read more
  March 7, 2012 12:20 pm - 21 Comments
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  Employer militancy is the new black - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  I spent last weekend on the picket line at the Ports of Auckland with the Maritime Union members and their families. It was there on Saturday that Council of Trade Unions President, Helen Kelly, broke the news that meat processing company AFFCO – owned by that long-standing New Zealand family company Talley’s – was planning [...] read more
  February 28, 2012 2:05 pm - 29 Comments
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  SkyCity: Dirty deals done dirt cheap - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  In the last couple of days no less than two Ministers have dished out inaccurate comments about the supposed economic benefits of the SkyCity casino extension in exchange for a conference centre deal. With all due respect to both Steven Joyce and Tariana Turia, the deal simply doesn’t stack up economically, and will inflict huge social harm on some of the most vulnerable members of our society. read more
  February 23, 2012 4:46 pm - 39 Comments
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  Public services will suffer from another slash and burn Budget - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  There were no big surprises in yesterday’s Budget Policy Statement. Throughout its first term, National campaigned on an agenda of tax cuts, public sector cuts, and welfare reforms. This budget year, and for the next three years, things will be no different. In fact for the public sector, just as for welfare beneficiaries, things are [...] read more
  February 17, 2012 9:20 am - 67 Comments
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  Unemployment: one step forward, two steps back - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Hot on the heels of yesterday’s minimum wage increase announcement – of a paltry 50c an hour – comes the December 2011 Household Labour Force Survey quarterly report . On the face of it, the statistics indicate a steady decrease in unemployment – and no doubt John Key’s government will be pitching it in this [...] read more
  February 9, 2012 6:01 pm - 21 Comments
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  A stingy and evidence-averse decision on the minimum wage - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  As I predicted in my blog post last week, John Key’s Government has announced today what amounts to a nil increase in the minimum wage – a paltry increase of 50c an hour. The nominal increase is 3.8% – but at the same time the Consumer Price Index increased 4.6% in the year to September 2011 [...] read more
  February 8, 2012 5:33 pm - 15 Comments
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  Government stuck in the ‘80s on the minimum wage - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Sometime around now, Cabinet will be undertaking its annual review of the minimum wage, which currently stands at a lowly $13 an hour. My bet is that we will see another effective nil increase, with the minimum wage being adjusted upwards no more than the level of inflation over the past year. That would be [...] read more
  January 31, 2012 1:19 pm - 61 Comments
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  Ports of Auckland’s agenda: Casualisation, union-busting and privatisation - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  As the dispute between Ports of Auckland Ltd Board and management and the Maritime Union’s members continues, I’m starting to question whether there’s a less obvious agenda in play than the one espoused by Ports of Auckland management. Ports of Auckland have consistently said that they want to increase productivity. However the hardline approach and [...] read more
  January 14, 2012 6:45 pm - 25 Comments
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  Workers’ rights in Fiji - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  When the Fijian military rule decided to deport New Zealand Council of Trade Unions President Helen Kelly and her Australian union counterparts yesterday they gave a clear signal that the reports of abuse of workers’ rights and the physical attacks on Fijian trade unionists are probably accurate. Ms Kelly was part of an Australian and New [...] read more
  December 14, 2011 4:15 pm - 12 Comments