Economy, Work, & Welfare Archive

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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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  IWD – It Won’t Do - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  International Women’s Day is as relevant today as it was when it was first marked in 1911. Then, one million men and women rallied in countries across Europe to demand the right for women to vote, hold public office, work and have equal pay. It’s a day celebrated by a holiday in many countries, and [...] read more
  March 8, 2012 9:49 am - 3 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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  On housing affordability and transport: it’s the parking, stupid. - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  There are two parallel debates going in Auckland that really need to be combined. On the one hand, we have a housing affordability crisis. The solution, we are told, in the very disappointing  Productivity Commission draft report, is to free up more land for development on the fringes of the urban area. This will presumably bring down [...] read more
  March 7, 2012 10:52 am - 49 Comments
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  Green Growth, past and future - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  On Saturday I attended the launch of the Green Growth Advisory Group’s report on ‘greening’  New Zealand’s growth.  As well as being an interesting cultural experience in its own right, it was useful to hear first hand some of the ideas and expectations that flow from the document. The Greens see a lot in the [...] read more
  March 6, 2012 9:15 am - 6 Comments
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  Vandals at the Gate – A Global Education Update - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last week I attended a lecture by David Robinson from the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) about the state of global education. The main focus was on the tertiary sector but it was also relevant to all levels of education and the news was not good. David pointed out that despite internationally consistent rhetoric [...] read more
  March 5, 2012 5:08 pm - 107 Comments
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  The Green Growth Advisory Group report - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Over the weekend, the Government released the report of the Green Growth Advisory Group (GGAG). The GGAG is appointed by the Government and headed by Phil O’Reilly from Business NZ. The report is a timid acknowledgement of the growing global and domestic green economy and the opportunities and risks that creates for New Zealand. As [...] read more
  March 5, 2012 1:26 pm - 22 Comments
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  Students struggle with housing and living costs - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Students are the only group routinely expected to borrow for living costs. The rationale is that they will earn more when they graduate, but when it’s increasingly hard for graduates to find work, that argument doesn’t fly. read more
  March 3, 2012 11:00 am - 15 Comments
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  Ports of Auckland workers and their families speak out - by frog

  
  
  
  There has been a lot of disinformation put out by Ports of Auckland Ltd and its sychophantic right wing bloggers over the last few weeks. In this video, Maritime Workers’ Union members and their families talk about how the company (wholly owned by the Auckland Council – give Mayor Len Brown a call or send [...] read more
  March 1, 2012 6:40 pm - 16 Comments
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  Welfare Reform goes nanny goat gruff – Part 2 of many - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  When the Government announced their reform plans this week we were hoping to see a reinstatement of the Training Incentive Allowance for higher level courses, as suggested by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett in a Cabinet paper signed off in October last year. It is very disappointing not to see this eventuate. The TIA for [...] read more
  February 29, 2012 6:53 am - 77 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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  Welfare Reform goes nanny goat gruff – Part 1 of many - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  The Green Party believes in an inclusive society, active job creation and basic human rights for every New Zealander. We believe in times of fiscal restraint it is all the more important to value people and foster our points of commonality rather than differences. This may sound all very ‘herbal’ as one friend of mine [...] read more
  February 28, 2012 12:20 pm - 15 Comments
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  Will the White Paper address child poverty? - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Submissions on the Government’s Green Paper for Vulnerable Children close tomorrow. If they urge the Government to address child poverty and inequality, will the Government listen? read more
  February 27, 2012 1:21 pm - 11 Comments
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  Crafar saga will keep Govt busy for 2012 - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Overseas Investment Office’s habit of rubber stamping applications to buy New Zealand land finally met a brick wall with the recent High Court decision regarding the Crafar farms. The Crafar Farms went bust a few years ago and are now being sold by receivers Korda Mentha on behalf of Australian banks and finance companies [...] read more
  February 24, 2012 5:51 pm - 12 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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  Urgent call for submissions: Auckland prostitution bill - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  The Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill, a local bill which proposes to make bylaws prohibiting the business of prostitution or commercial sexual services in specified public places in Manukau City, has been before the Local Government & Environment Select Committee since 2010. Submissions had already closed on this bill but [...] read more
  February 22, 2012 1:36 pm - 38 Comments
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  Aspirational beneficiaries get shut down and shamed - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  Last week, the Associate Minister for Social Development, Chester Borrows, told the House (and by virtue of that the whole country) that beneficiary Tania Wysocki of Pukekohe was getting “the equivalent of a salary of $43,000 a year plus her entitlement to 20 hours’ early childhood education”. He also said that she is no worse [...] read more
  February 21, 2012 11:01 am - 58 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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  Super Fund invests in Chinese property bubble? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The New Zealand Superannuation Fund has, on our behalf, decided to take a $23 million bet on a property development company with significant exposure to China — a country where some reports say that there are 64 million vacant apartments. The Fund’s stake in Hong Kong-based property development company Sun Hung Kai is the tenth [...] read more
  February 9, 2012 8:05 am - 4 Comments