Farmers exploitation of workers the real story of Capitalism in NZ
Nothing manages to sum up the state of capitalism in NZ better than this story about the wealthy plutocrats who own Farmers.
Farmers department store must step up and pay workers the living wage, Union says
The Farmers department store chain, which cut staff numbers and pay during Covid-19, needs to do the right thing now that retail sales have improved and pay its staff the living wage, First Union says
First Union, which represents about 800 Farmers workers, is heading into collective agreement bargaining with the company in March. Farmers cut some staff pay by 20 per cent during Covid-19 last year, made some staff redundant and was paid $28 million in Government wage subsidies.
Farmers is part of the retail empire presided over by Auckland couple Anne and David Norman. The NBR Rich List estimated the family’s wealth at $560m in 2019 through their ownership of jewellery chains Pascoes, Stewart Dawsons, Prouds, Goldmark, and Angus & Cootes, as well as homewares chain Stevens, Farmers, and bookstore Whitcoulls.
The Norman family’s retail business has been criticised by philanthropist Grant Nelson for claiming more than $35m in wage subsidies which he believes is contributing to the transfer of wealth to those who are already well off.
The wealthy family who own Farmers, who were paid $35m in wage subsidies are still sacking workers and not paying them a living wage.
Right now there are 22,000 desperate Kiwi’s waiting on social housing lists and 1 in 5 children live in poverty. Globally this type of inequality is spreading not decreasing.
- In 2010, the 388 richest individuals owned more wealth than half of the entire human population on Earth
- By 2015, this number was reduced to only 62 individuals
- In 2018, it was 42
- In 2019, it was down to only 26 individuals who own more wealth than 3.8 billion people.
This isn’t democracy, it’s fast becoming a feudal plutocracy!
Wealthy elites screwing over workers while they benefit, this is the state of capitalism in NZ.
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“Drive them fast to their tomb”
While I believe Farmers should pay a living wage, there are far worse things happening in NZ that unions should be stopping like the rise in people who through various mechanisms are not being paid the minimum wage, Chorus ‘subcontractors’ models, unpaid /interns, cash workers for full time work and people paying back their wages in visa scams. Some unions are starting to look woke and more self interested, than representing traditional workers that they lost the war with Rogernomic ‘reforms’.
What sort of message is it, when unions arrange ACC compensation when a cash worker dies, while illegally working a cash job in construction and was killed.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/illegally-working-overstayer-dies-on-the-job-acc-payment-made-to-widow-in-china/OWADEJMGCUYM36WLF6YNKUA2SE/ Keep cash and illegal work going in NZ!
Don’t prosecute the employer and those involved in employing illegal workers here and make them pay out the widow, not to mention you have to wonder what level of workmanship will be in the houses being built which might turn into death traps with this type of labour and project management becoming the norm.
Too much woke compassion for ‘other’ while in NZ there seems to be little to none for people in need under our noses or dying from poor construction (CTV building, designed by engineer from SA who lied about experience), or victims of crime, Tarrant who comes to NZ gets a gun license with internet references which police don’t check and blows away 50 people…
Time to do some boycotting, Kiwis
Lamborghini has such hideous designs these days. Why not buy a Tesla model S if you are rich? Makes you look cool and you care about the planet at the same time.
No car cares for the planet.
Production of cars uses up Non Renewable Natural Resources creating problems our children will have to suffer with. Cars if needed at all . can be made to last at least 50 years like many tractors do.
If we designed our community living spaces so cars were not needed at all then we will have turned the clock back.