This week, National MPs indulged themselves with a bit of union bashing during their support for Tau Henare’s Employment Relations (Secret Relations Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bil.
The worst comments were from Tau Henare and other National MPs, who insisted on quoting Martin Luther King saying “Free at Last, Thank God Almighty we are Free at Last.”
How embarrassing to compare a petty little bill, that has nothing to do with freedom, freedom of choice, or more importantly, freedom of association with that great defender of civil rights and equality, Martin Luther King.
Tau Henare and his other acolytes, including Jami-Lee Ross, made speeches that would have made Bill Birch of the 1990s National Party proud.
The prejudice is awful. The consequences for New Zealand workers are dire when you add everything up.
This week, I found out a whole lot more about the government’s intention to roll back worker rights and collective bargaining. (I’ll have more to say on this).
The Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson, is due to make her annual junket to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva in June. So far, she’s been able to bask in some of the glory from the former Labour government and New Zealand’s place as a respected member of the ILO. We had moved on from the shame in the 1990s when a special Rappateur was sent to New Zealand to investigate NZ’s breaches of core labour standards. New Zealand were pariahs in the international labour community then, aligned with third world countries who think workers should be grateful to have jobs. We might be joining them again soon.
I am wondering how the Minister of Labour will justify Tau Henare’s bill, which on its own, is irrelevant in the scale of issues facing New Zealand workers, but in the bigger picture, will require an explanation of how her government’s changes to collective bargaining and strikes will help advance the rights of New Zealand working people and our place in the world.
Think about this : if the influence of unions is removed altogether in NZ, what will happen to wages, to standards, to fairness?
Would we still have a minimum wage? Would we have ever moved to four weeks annual leave?
Would there even be a discussion about health and safety?
Or are you willing to leave it up to the Tau Henares and Jami-lee Ross’s of the world?
These MPs are a disgrace to the country.
As for Lindsay Tisch not being aware that the POAL lockout/good faith bargaining currently being the subject of mediation and EC proceedings.. what planet is the assistant speaker on?
Woe for my country.
Why is a secret ballot a bad thing? Don’t we vote in elections that way?
@Jack – here’s the thing; I moved at the end of the debate that the vote be held by secret ballot, so members of parliament could vote without coercion. Guess what?
“The consequences for New Zealand workers are dire”
I don’t understand how secret ballots cause these consequences.
With the passing of this amendment the sky is going to fall just like it did when probation periods were introduced.
You seem to be saying that it is important for the unions to maintain their influence so they need to be able to coerce their members?
the problem isn’t whether the ballots are secret or not – some people really don’t pay attention to the actual terms of what’s proposed. The imbalance of power between employers and workers means coercion is generally all in one direction. Funny how that never bothers the right wing!
@indiana – the sky didn’t fall, but employment rates sure as hell did!
The same probationary periods that were going to give employers more confidence to take on more staff and give them a go…
NEK MINNIT… ahem.. excuse me.
The problem is in NZ we are not getting any growth, hence companies and employers can only increase profit by stripping out costs. Hence the increased effort to squeeze labour costs, Economics 101.
More action from our Government in lowering wages and conditions of work for New Zealanders.
The general public are waking up to the fact that this Government is not representing their interests.
Darien, I still can’t see why a secret ballot to strike is such a bad thing. With electoral processes a secret vote is seen as a good thing. You even suggested that you would like all bills voted on with a secret vote!
It’s a nothing piece of legislation that serves no purpose in the real world as workers will always vote to strike if their cause is just, by show of hands or otherise.
For those that expect, all of a sudden, the people being crapped on by their employers will reject a union call because they have to tick a box in a booth have no connection with the struggle for fair employment in NZ.
All this bill does is allow employers to timewaste through proceduce and put an added financial burden on and barrier infront of workers already without the same resources and funding as the bosses.
Yes, secret ballots are great. eternal thanks to those who served their peoples and their nations to protect our right to it, though I’m sure this thatcherism lite, vanity project isn’t what they had in mind.
@Jack No problem with secret ballots. Big problem with the state interfering in thecway unions conduct their business with their members and employers having another legal tool to fight in the Courts with,
“Tau Bar” remains a prize dick, he used to wear black fingerless leather gloves when a Clerical Workers Union organiser. He turned up to a Kaitaia JNL mill workers strike meeting when he was with NZ1 and said he supported the ECA!
So who knows what his twisted logic is on this one, but it is certainly another stick for employers to whack workers organisations with.
Darien, if the state has been interfering with unions since they passes into law the right to strike. This is just the next stage in a long line of interference.
If nothing else, these intellectual pygmies expose their ignorance. Aside from his civil rights advocacy, Martin Luther King was an active supporter of the union movement and his assassination in fact occurred while he was in Memphis supporting a cleaners strike.
“The Labor Movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.” – MLK
Tau has completed his journey to the dark side. From union organiser, to a mere tool of the ruling elite.
Not even well regarded by his own team, with a massive slip down the rankings prior to the last election.
Two star wars references on red alert in two days. Nice. But… we should double our efforts.
Luke and Obi-Wan are in a Chinise restaurant and Luke’s having trouble.
Finally, Obi-Wan says, “Use the forks, Luke.”
Suddenly in the middle of the fight, Darth Vader pulls Luke to him, and whispers “I know what you’re getting for Christmas!”
Luke exclaims “But how??!?”
“It’s true Luke, *breath* I know what you’re getting for Christmas.”
Luke tries to ignore this, but tears himself free, screaming “How could you know this?!”
Vader replies, “I felt your presents.”
I knew there was a reason that they didn’t make a Space Balls 2