Workers and their unions must defend right to free speech

By Mike Treen  /  August 10, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  10 Comments

Unionists the world over have been victims of the lack of free speech in societies run by and for the wealthy 1%.

An Open Letter To Winston Peters

By Mike Treen  /  August 7, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  25 Comments

It was with some personal disappointment that despite several letters from my friends and colleagues, there appeared to be no action by the New Zealand government to protest the hijacking of the boat I was travelling on, Al Awda, and from which I was kidnapped and detained by the Israeli military from international waters on Sunday, July 29.

Changes to benefit sanctions regime welcome, but…

By Mike Treen  /  June 29, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  10 Comments

This is welcome news but it should be just the start of a new culture being imposed at WINZ.

BREAKING: Unite Union says IRD going rogue against Labour Government!

By Mike Treen  /  June 28, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  7 Comments

Unite represents workers employed by Salmat who is a third party call centre operator currently contracted to provide services to the IRD. This contract was review early this year and Salmat’s services were discontinued to be replaced by temping agency Madison in September.

Stolen Holiday Pay must be paid back – the Government must act

By Mike Treen  /  June 22, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  8 Comments

The truth is there is nothing very complicated about the calculation of annual leave. Leave was to be calculated weekly and when it was taken it should be valued at the greater of the worker’s current wage or their yearly average. This had been true since 1948.

What was clarified in the 2003 Act was that if it was difficult to determine what an ordinary week was, for example, because they worked variable hours each week, then the worker should get the higher of their yearly average or the average of the last four weeks. This was explained in the Act in minute detail. No mistaken understanding could be taken from the plain language.

It has become clear that almost no major employer or payroll provider did this simple calculation. Many also did not include regular allowances that should have been. 

Unite to picket Wendy’s Dominion Rd, Auckland store 5pm tonight despite injunction

By Mike Treen  /  June 9, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  3 Comments

Supporters are being asked to come along and show that support outside the company’s Dominion Rd, Auckland, store tonight from 5-7pm.

Why Wendy’s workers are striking

By Mike Treen  /  June 1, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  10 Comments

Wendy’s workers will be gathering outside the Te Atatu Wendy’s store at 7.30pm tonight to explain why they are striking to media and supporters. 

A simple idea – how farmers can pay for their own problems

By Mike Treen  /  May 30, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  13 Comments

It’s going to cost the government at least $600 million to clean up this mess over the next decade

Union leader Mike Treen to join flotilla to Gaza in July

By Mike Treen  /  May 21, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  18 Comments

Mike Treen spoke with acclaimed US/Palestinian author Dr Baroud who is currently on a speaking tour of New Zealand on why he is going on the Flotilla to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. (See link below)

Wage and time theft endemic – and could get worse

By Mike Treen  /  May 18, 2018  /  Mike Treen, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  8 Comments

Workers have been cheated for 15 years. But it seems that companies are only being required to go back six years to calculate repayments. Why?