Van Velden skipped consultation before scrapping 30-day rule
The Minister for Workplace Relations did not consult with impacted parties before progressing controversial draft legislation to repeal a law that automatically signs new employees up to a collective agreement.
Earlier this month the coalition Government announced it was repealing changes made by the previous government, by removing the so-called 30-day rule and reducing employers’ obligations to communicate and report back on union membership for new workers. Union bosses say the change will deter people from joining altogether.
A status report on the changes, put together by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and presented to van Velden in February, mentions the lack of consultation under the ‘risks’ section.
Van Velden knows she can fuck around with the Unions and disrespect them in this manner because she knows the Unions are too gutless and weak to fight back!
Look.
The NZ Union movement is very much like the Woke Wellington activists, they are excellent at supporting Free the Nipple protests for militant vegan mummy bloggers, not so good at challenging the neoliberal hegemonic economic structure!
The NZ Unions are in short, pathetic and Van Velden knows they are pathetic, and she can slap them in the face and disrespect them because she knows they are so weak, they won’t fight back.
If Van Veleden misgendered a Union official, oh, then the Unions would set fire to her Ministerial car, but as long as she doesn’t mispronounce some Te Reo or suggest NZ female comedians aren’t that funny, the Unions will not fight her.
NZCTU have given us their vision for Workers in NZ…
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi has launched a new policy platform, Aotearoa Reimagined, which has been developed by engaging workers, community leaders and policy experts over the past year.
“Today we are announcing a transformative policy vision that reimagines our society and economy to ensure that Aotearoa New Zealand works for the many, not just the few. We challenge political parties to make a strong commitment to working people by adopting these policies in the lead up to the next general election,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.
“Our country is heading in the wrong direction. We have a broken economy, rising inequality and poverty, soaring unemployment, and stagnating wages. The rich keep getting richer at the expense of ordinary people. We need to do things differently. It’s time for bold change.
“We’ve spent the last year listening to workers who have told us that they are angry at a system that doesn’t meet their needs or aspirations. They fear their children are facing a future of increasing hardship.
“Everyone deserves security, dignity, and to have enough to thrive. Changing the country’s trajectory is possible—we just need to make different choices. We have listened to working people and created a plan to build a society that works for everyone.
“Our plan would ensure everyone can have good, well-paid jobs underpinned by strong workers’ rights.
“It will deliver world-leading public health and education, a cradle-to-grave care and support system, modern infrastructure, warm dry, affordable homes, clean and publicly owned energy, and low-cost transport.
“The plan would ensure that Aotearoa meets its climate obligations and guarantees a just transition for the workers and communities who will bear the brunt of the climate crisis and technological change.
“We are also calling on politicians to reject the politics of division and honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi by implementing it in law and in our constitutional frameworks.
“We can fund the transformative change we desperately need by rebalancing the tax system, taxing capital gains and ensuring that the wealthy pay their fair share.
“The union movement is challenging political parties to make this vision a reality and create an Aotearoa that works for the many, not just the few. It’s time for a new approach,” said Wagstaff.
…the details are all very broad and general and it feels like something Jacinda would have done in that it’s a perpetual ‘first good step’ that doesn’t really go anywhere.
CTUs vision is like vegan muesli vs a bacon sandwich in that it’s good for you but lacks the sales pitch.
When you consider this hard right, anti-Treaty, anti-Māori, anti-worker, anti-environment, anti-renter, anti-beneficiary Government is strangling off the common good for corporate donors interests, you would have thought the CTUs vision would recognise that, but we are left with a first good step rather than the sprint required.
I think Craig Renney’s new podcast will do more than this vision statement.
We have to re-establish the egalitarian mission by promoting policy that directly challenges the capitalist status quo in meaningful ways.
Without vision, the Union movement is lost.
There are 4 magical pillars of the NZ economic ‘success’
1 – Stealing Indigenous land and never paying back the full value.
2 – Selling basic milk powder to China
3 – Selling each other houses and pretending that makes us rich.
4 – Addiction to a low wage economy.
The migration exploitation rules are garbage because NZ loves exploiting migrant labour!
We are addicted to it.
We say locals are too lazy for these jobs when really what we say is locals won’t allow themselves to be exploited as easily as migrant workers.
There is of course a solution here.
Universals Union membership for every migrant worker crossing the border.
That way domestic workers know they are not competing against exploited labour.
That way migrant labour can’t be exploited without the Union stepping.
That way the migrant worker and domestic worker are all protected by the solidarity of the Union.
We don’t want a solution to exploited labour, that’s why Universal Union Membership for migrant workers is ignored and non-solutions like this are promoted.
We need economic resilience, we need community resilience, we need radical reform to strengthen sustainability.
We need more Left Universalism.
We need to lift the tax yoke off working people, beneficiaries and the middle classes and we need to put it on the Banks, the Corporations, the Billionaires and the mega wealthy.
We need more Democratic Infrastructure, not less!
Why do we need these things?
Because the climate is shutting down and we face a bleak future where Billions will suffer and die thanks to catastrophic climate change.
This change will be forced upon us whether we like it or not.
This demands more connections, more bonds that bind us together to emotionally, socially, economically and politically survive what is coming.
Māori communalism is going to teach us a lot.
Here are some thoughts on what the CTU hui should be considering:
The Right to Strike: A 10 day nation wide national strike would achieve more for working people than a dozen elections. We don’t have the right to strike in this country for God’s sakes, stand on your feet or live on your knees!
Iwi backed new Supermarket: Bring in a 3rd player into the supermarket duopoly that is Iwi backed with a focus on cheap prices for consumers, best prices for producers and high wages and work conditions for workers. Take 30% of the Supermarket Industry by force (allowed under the Commerce Commission powers) and use this as the backbone for a new food security system.
Mārae Civil Defence: Use Marae as the backbone of Civil Defence throughout NZ with resources based there alongside new building grants to strengthen those Marae.
Ministry of Green Works: We need to be able to build our own sustainable infrastructure, we need social housing builds and we need vast upgrading of the existing infrastructure to be adaptable to climate change.
New Mental Health First Responders: A whole new branch of first responders to deal specifically with mental health issues to talk people down and seek help rather than calling then Police and arresting people.
Artist Benefit: As part of a degrowth Capitalism model, pay Artists to make public art, use that art as a means to deal with the wondrous grief caused by the destruction of the planet.
Māori Parliament: An indigenous Parliament that amplifies Māori political voices.
Universal Student Union: Allow Student Unions to be the incubators for tomorrows politicians and stop students simply being cash cows for corporate education.
Universal Migrant Union: Stop migrant worker exploitation with universal student membership.
Retirement Village Unions: These scumbag retirement villages abuse their elderly and sick clients, universal Retirement Village Unions would stop them being exploited.
Pensioner Unions: Give our elderly a voice!
Sugar Tax to fund free dental.
Financial Transaction Tax to target speculators
Free Public Transport to lower emissions and make an impact on the wallets of the poor.
Wealth Tax aimed at the super wealthy
Inheritance Tax only realised after death
First $20 000 tax free for everyone
Lower GST to 10% to take the tax burden off the poor
Nationalise Early Childhood Education to lower the cost for working mothers and fathers
Without vision the Union Movement is dead, and Minister Van Velden shows contempt because she knows the Unions are too weak to fight back.
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Martyn – I believe in Unions, and currently am a member…but, I remember being “forced” due to it being compulsory to join the student union at Uni…and that Union performance sucked.
The fact is union density was laid waste back in 1991 by the ECA (Employment Contracts Act) and never really recovered, this has happened around the world during the neo liberal era, it not just an NZ problem. Employment has changed to contracting, precarious, part time, internships, all of which make unionisation more difficult.
However there are some good battling unions left–mainly in the Private Sector, Unite, MUNZ, Workers First Union (ex NDU and FIRST), Etū and a few more. The Public sector have the larger numbers but have always had a class collaborative approach–“Partnership” and thought their position was secure–but not so with a right wing vandal Govt. on the attack sacking thousands of public servants.
The next thing Van Velden will go for is employer deductions of union members fees, it is basically union busting by making it difficult to join and maintain membership. This Govt. is into class war and the NZCTU is not which is the problem. The CTU was founded on Tripartism which was always an illusion as the employers and now Govt. wanted nothing less than the destruction of workers organisation. There is already a complex set of legislation that covers just initiating bargaining with an employer which ties up a number of organisers and resources.
How many workers know who Richard Wagstaff is? A lot knew who Helen Kelly was with her advocacy work on Pike River and Forest Industry deaths. The only way forward is a class left new leadership for the CTU, with the working class position put in everyones face every day and communities involved in union campaigns.
New Zealand is uniquely bad, almost as bad as the US and Canada.
https://wol.iza.org/articles/employment-protection/long
Yes you got it though I will pull you up on the PSA. Many of their members are low paid and work in shitty jobs like homecare. I worked for them for a while after my time in E Tu and the Meat Workers Union looking out for border workers during the pandemic. There is no doubt public sector unions do better under Labour because the government is by and large the employer, or at least the funder. It all collapses under a Tory government. But they are running spirited “class” campaigns and I like their leadership, including one co-National secretary who had his apprenticeship with SFWU (now E Tu). As for Richard W, he is the elected leader of all the unions who affiliate, including those you mention. Helen Kelly was my friend and special, but the CTU does have great people like Craig Renney who is making a real difference. PS I hated the partnership for quality stuff, but that was a long, long time ago. and PPS : join the actions on May 1.
https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=169836
Not all unions are weak.
Various unions do great work, Maritime fought for return of NZ owned coastal shipping and rail capable ferries, Meatworkers battle Talleys forever, agreements are achieved all over the country.
The central organisation however has long dropped the ball in terms of class leadership-which is the required element when dealing with monetarist brats like Van Velden.
The Union movement has no leadership , a simple poll would reveal how little is known about them.
Richard Wagstaff who is he?
Unions have been around long before you were in nappies Bob the unintelligent, let alone Brooke van der whoever. Unions are strong unlike National who are weak with no leadership, that much is obvious to those of us who understand politics. Unions are a collective unlike you Bob with no mates who continues to bag the very fabric that gave employees the rights they have today. Bob the first who is he? Richard Wagstaff is an intellect unlike Bob the nobody. Google search Richard Wagstaff, then Bob the first and you’ll get your answer retard Bob.
There it is right there. You are illiterate to both sides of the argument. We all know who Richard Wagstaff is( He’s currently a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Governing Body and the ILO Committee for Freedom of Association) but who is Brooke Van whoever, really?(Van Velden was born in Auckland in 1992.[3] She attended St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland, where she joined the school choir in Year 12. She says this sparked her interest in public speaking. She later joined the Welsh Choir.)
Fuck me Bob Brooke’s claim to fame is she joined a choir!
And a wonderful voice she has too.
She has a monotone voice, much like your posts.
Just some are weaker than others.
Correct Bob, you are so much weaker than everyone else.
Martyn you need an education about unions. And a bit of history. Stop dissing them.
Maybe, but lets face the fact the men and women who could offer a spine to the union movement in this country – are not in the union movement in this country. Myself and others who have worked in unions overseas don’t work in the unions here – for the simple fact it’s a closed shop of backstabbing weak ass lickers. Who are generally more interested in a career in the labour party, than actually doing the job of looking after working people.
I’ve got collection of horror stories of the backstabbing and utter filth from these union officials towards other union officials, and members. Let talk the PSA and there bullshit record, nah just one example. The last time I personally had to deal with a someone from the PSA, I had to remind him he did not work for the bosses, and then threaten him, to stop him crawling on his belly to lick the bosses feet.
So whilst a history lesson for Martyn might be a good thing – his grasp of how shitty, feckless and down right weak many union officials and leadership are in this country is spot on.
You write:
” The NZ Union movement is very much like the Woke Wellington activists, they are excellent at supporting Free the Nipple protests for militant vegan mummy bloggers, not so good at challenging the neoliberal hegemonic economic structure! ”
And I comment.
“In 1991, New Zealand underwent significant union deregulation with the passage of the Employment Contracts Act, which shifted from collective bargaining to individual contracts and weakened the power of unions. This move was part of a broader economic shift towards free market principles, impacting the landscape of employment relationships”
Rogernomics. ( A little bit of sick…)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogernomics
Chicago school of economics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_school_of_economics
Now ask why?
Why, you ask?
14 multi-billionaires, 3118 multi-millionaires each with a net minimum of $50 million and four now agricultural primary industry competitor australian owned banks stealing $180.00 a second 24/7/365.
That’s why, FYI.
See. There ya go. You now know, what, whom, why, when and for how much. There’s nothing left to comprehend. You and you now know. My question to you and you therefore is what are you going to do about it? Albert Einstein was quoted ( weakly ) “The definition of madness is doing the same thing while expecting different results” and since we’ve suffered the interpretations of rogers giant pig-brain economics for the last 40 + years we’re still fucked and getting fuckeder in our thinking thus doing.
We need unions. We need to be united to play team sports, we need to be united in the way we drive, socialise and be schooled BUT according to roger, we don’t need them silly old unions when we head off to work to earn money to haemorrhage to foreign owned banksters. Fucking funny that.
There are plenty of strong unions in NZ.
The bankers cartel association union.
The employers federation union.
The union of electricity corporation executives.
The real estate agencies owners association union.
The wellington club union.
The northern club union.
The financial markets authority union.
The rort the tax payers union.
The atlas network and associated entities union.
” Martyn you need an education about unions. And a bit of history. Stop dissing them ”
That said how is the NZLP going to support Richard’s vision to become a real reality with policies to match ?
” “Our country is heading in the wrong direction. We have a broken economy, rising inequality and poverty, soaring unemployment, and stagnating wages. The rich keep getting richer at the expense of ordinary people. We need to do things differently. It’s time for bold change ”
And this statement from TDB.
” We have to re-establish the egalitarian mission by promoting policy that directly challenges the capitalist status quo in meaningful ways ”
Without vision, the Union movement is lost.
The unions are still associated with the NZLP but unlike National who actively governs for its donor and corporate interests and legislates their agenda the Unions have little prospect of any meaningful influence to even have its vision adopted by the NZLP.
I am a member of the PSA and know a lot of the delegates who are frustrated with the NZLP and its reluctance to move away from free market economics and all the problems that creates for so many people who are under attack from this government and not represented by a real alternative to the current status quo.
You will know then that the PSA, along with all the other State Sector Unions are not affiliated to the NZLP and nor is the CTU. The unions that are include E Tu, MUNZ, Rail and Maritime Union, Dairy Workers, Meat Workers, AWUNZ South – you know all those private sector unions ? If anything frustrates long term unionists like me is how often State Sector Unions are lions when Labour is in power and lambs when National rules. I hope that is changing. Tell your delegate friends to join the NZLP, or the Greens, or TPM. I don’t care which but you can’t make change sitting around complaining.
The issue is the alternative SSAF. Narcissism, corruption and capitalism is what you get with the right and if 1-1.5% is what they think our doctors are worth then they have well and truly fucked our country.
Sadly Brooke is another of the growing list of women in this government that are driven by spite and hate for the rest of NZ .I dont know why this intake are so nasty and spiteful.I guess greed and self importance come into it but I cant figure it out .We have a nasty benefit basher ,a tobacco pusher ,a mad gun slinger ,a self interested child welfare minister who is only interested in pushing her own past ,an education minister who is living in the dark ages and a bloody useless minister of finance .No doubt I have left someone out but the list is endless ,I have never seen such distain for the people who voted these people into government .It seems as tho they are saying thanks for voting for us now we will punish you for doing so .
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