Have had a gutsful of the white-anting of Labour from both the right and the left of politics.
White-anting is an Australian expression. It means undermining. I lived there for 14 years, worked for the trade union movement and as a public relations professional. Proud of my time there, the work I did and the people I worked with.
I have strong enduring relationships with people across the right and left of the Labour spectrum. In the last few days there’s been some very strong messages delivered about the importance of core Labour values. The compelling reasons for unions. And why there is a need for a strong Labour Party. And why Australia (like NZ) needs a strong manufacturing base.
All completely relevant here.
Paul Howes is the National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union. Over the weekend he sounded a strong warning that the high Australian dollar spells the death sentence for Australia’s manufacturing export markets and for other sectors of the economy such as in-bound tourism and that diplomatic pressure should be put on on China to float the Yuan.
Today we see what he was referring to with the announcement of 1400 manufacturing jobs from BlueScope Steel in Port Kembla, south of Sydney. This is devastating.
THE loss of more than 1000 jobs at BlueScope Steel is a devastating blow for the retrenched workers and the manufacturing industry, the Australian Workers Union (AWU) says.
BlueScope confirmed today that it will shut down its number six blast furnace at Port Kembla, south of Sydney, and close its Western Port hot strip mill, east of Melbourne.
“Today’s announcement is devastating for the families of more than 1400 workers who will be feeling the trauma and distress that comes with the loss of a secure income,” AWU national secretary Paul Howes said in a statement.
It further strengthened the union’s call for action on the Chinese yuan, a robust anti-dumping system and strong local procurement policies for the resources sector, Mr Howes said.
The BlueScope closures sent a clear signal that Australian manufacturing was facing its worst crisis since the Great Depression, he said.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) said Australian manufacturing was under extraordinary pressure from the booming dollar, record high terms of trade and unfair competition from illegal foreign dumping.
“Local industry is not being given a fair go to work on the mining and resource projects which are driving the dollar sky-high, AMWU national secretary Dave Oliver said in the joint statement with Mr Howes.
Australia could not just rely on mining, Mr Oliver said.
Strong Labour policies focussing on our economic sovereignty; owning our own future are what this country needs.
Clare, why do you think the union message is so hard to get traction with, the anti union voices seem to get more hearing and space.
If you had to summarise in ten single points or less the advantages of belonging to a union, what would that summary look like?
@ Clare
2 questions;
1. What does white-anting have to do with the last half of the post (or have I misread and you mean Labour in it’s generic term, as in ‘the labour movment/workers rights?)
2. Will the NZLP look to tank the FT deals with China and others?
Would the closure of Steel Blast Furnace have anything at all to do with the carbon tax that the gillard government is about to impose? the same carbon tax even the unions oppose?
I just don’t really think that you have thought this through Clare.
Are you saying that we should use protectionist measures to stop manufactured goods from entering our country and flooding the market?
Do you want consumers to pay more money for goods so we can employ people here in New Zealand?
Why did Helen Clark organise a free trade deal with China? Was that a waste of time? Has Labour’s policy changed now? I’m terribly confused.
Sniping at possible coalition partners hasn’t done you any favours in the past. Especially considering that you managed to push The Maori Party into the arms of National with contemptuous behaviour and rhetoric.
This is a long-term game and seems like Labour only plays to short-term populist policies, including protectionism.
Clare, I wonder if push came to shove, if you would be prepared to tell people in inefficient industries that it was time to move on and forge careers in “high-wage” industries for the betterment of themselves and the NZ economy – or would you continue to protect them?
Reallocating resources can/does hurt in the short-run, does not mean you should not do it.
Lastly, Goff champions the FTA with China…
BlueScope have made it very,very clear in their statements today that the carbon price plans of Gillard Gvt have had nothing at all to do with today’s announcements. The truth is that China has been cheating on the WTO free trade rules for some time and Gvt’s across the globe have been too scared to tell China to play fair. Until we get governments with the guts to insist that China play by the rules of the free trade game we will all continue to see jobs go down the gurgler.
the carbon tax in Aust is not the reason Bluescope is in trouble. It wouldn’t have helped of course. Regarding the tax, Dr Cullen was in talks with NZ Steel a few years ago about Labours proposed tax .. do you have his reaction Clare?
NZ Steel is hanging in there due to access to ironsands. The union staff average about 105k and could go on strike tomorrow at a time as the whole industry is in trouble .. go figure
“Strong Labour policies focussing on our economic sovereignty; owning our own future are what this country needs.”
Labour signed the free trade deal with China.
Is it not hypocritical to now be talking about economic sovereignty and “owning our future”?
The reason Labour is doing so badly in the polls is because it has nothing to offer the people it purports to represent. With neo-liberal economics graphically demonstrated as both morally and financially bankrupt, this should be a golden time for a social democratic party of the centre left. Instead, Labour gives the distinct impression that there is no difference between it and the NACT party. Ms Curran, if you and your parliamentary colleagues aren’t willing to deliver social justice, kindly get out of the way for those who are.
Too tired to read comments, like the Greens but would have to agree that they have been white-anting Labour
Clare,
You might be right that what the country needs are “strong…policies focussing on our economic sovereignty; owning our own future are what this country needs.”
However, whether those policies are delivered by Labour or somebody else is irrelevant. If Labour doesn’t want its “traditional” supporters to migrate to voting for other parties it needs to show not only that Labour is a party that has these policies but why it is the best party for implementing these policies.
We might want these policies, but do we trust Labour to deliver them?
I’m not voting for Labour precisely because of some of the things that you have voted for, during this term of opposition. You have bad judgement.
I suggest you join Trev and take up cycling to minimise the stress and frustration.
You didn’t happen to be a “public relations” professional for Adidas or Telecom, did you?
Clare seems to have forgotten that in 2008, a Labour-led Government signed the Free Trade Agreement with China. Helen Clark knew as well as anyone else that this was a really bad mistake for NZ to make, but under her leadership we made it anyway.
INDEPENDENT Senator Nick Xenophon today blasted BlueScope Steel executives as “obscene and out of touch” after revealing they paid themselves $3 million in bonuses while sacking 1000 workers.
from the Herald Sun in Oz .. that will get you revved up and it should .. a shocker
“Labour only plays to short-term populist policies”
…and national in nearly three years has… waited to get public reaction then announced something, how many times? You don’t get much more populist than that.
talk economics, can you name some high wage industries NZ could look to more?
“INDEPENDENT Senator Nick Xenophon today blasted BlueScope Steel executives as “obscene and out of touch” after revealing they paid themselves $3 million in bonuses while sacking 1000 workers.
from the Herald Sun in Oz .. that will get you revved up and it should .. a shocker”
So what you are saying is that having an extra $3000 per worker would have prevented them being sacked?
No?
what I am saying is that the Leaders of Bluescope have overseen a drop in shareprice close to toilet paper value, closing parts of 2 sites with over a 1000 employees losing their jobs not counting 100′s of other jobs supporting the plants and they get paid bonus payments (oh, no dividends for shareholders either). Bluescope have already axed other jobs, mainly office/management as well.
jabba – reminds me of brieleys’ overseen by Paul Collins to about .24 a share, then he got $4m to bugger off, now he’s chairing a bunch of companies and crown entities…
Almost makes you want to fail…