Farewell to Australians on Gaza Freedom Flotilla

http://rdln.wordpress.com/ Income and wealth inequality unchanged by last Labour government Posted: 5 July, 2011 by Admin in Economics, Labour Party NZ, Uncategorized 0 The article below was written in 2006 and provides a useful snapshot of the lack of growth of workers incomes, and the widening of inequality, under the last Labour government. One of the most noticeable features of economic discussion in New Zealand today is just how little of it there actually is. On radio and television news bulletins and in the business pages of the newspapers, the “business news” is largely confined to sound bites about international and local businesses or reports on how a particular sector is performing, followed by an update on share prices and exchange rates. What actually underlies economic decisions and what their impacts are, especially on workers, is rarely considered worthy of analysis. We hear good news stories about businesses engaging in successful export ventures or bad news stories about companies relocating their production offshore with accompanying job losses but, again, there is no analysis of what this really means or discussion of why this really happens, and since the government has abdicated any responsibility for any of this, we are left at the mercy of those who do make these decision, the “business community”. Read the rest of this entry » On the 25th anniversary of homosexual law reform: Gay liberation or crumbs from parliament? Posted: 5 July, 2011 by Admin in Gay Rights, LGBT 0 By Sean Kearns This Saturday, July 9, marks the 25th anniversary of the 1986 partial liberalisation of New Zealand’s by then outmoded and draconian anti-homosexual laws. On July 9, 1986, 14 months after it was first introduced to parliament, the first section of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, legalising consensual sexual activities between males 16 years and over, was narrowly passed by parliament (49 to 44).[1] The second section, which would have made anti-gay discrimination illegal, didn’t pass. Read the rest of this entry » The Workplace Solidarity Bill Posted: 4 July, 2011 by Admin in Women's Rights 0 By Don Franks Women doing equivalent work to men would be entitled to know what their male colleagues are paid under a bill proposed by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner. Dr Judy McGregor’s Pay Equity Bill would remove an employer’s ability to keep salaries secret. It would mean a woman doing the same work as a man would be entitled to know what he was paid. Read the rest of this entry » Still no left turn Posted: 3 July, 2011 by Admin in Uncategorized 0 By Colin Clarke I first heard of Chris Trotter three years ago, when I bought his book, ‘No left turn’, at Auckland airport, when I was leaving New Zealand after a holiday. Bits of the book were good as a potted history of various struggles in New Zealand labour history but throughout there was special pleading on behalf of Labour Party and union leaders about how difficult things were for them and a constant excusing of their actions. At the same time, anyone to their left was excoriated for daring to criticise them. I was left feeling that the title of the book was a sub-conscious reference to his own politics. Read the rest of this entry » Will NZ’s govt endorse a Palestinian state? Posted: 30 June, 2011 by Admin in Israel, Palestine 5 Officials from the PLO will visit New Zealand to seek support for a Palestinian state. Philip Ferguson discusses how Key’s government may respond: It might depend on what sort of “statehood” is involved. In the PLO case, it’s not even a neo-colonial set-up they are after; basically it’s a neo-neo-colonial set-up! I think it’s quite possible for the imperialists to go along with this, although Israel isn’t playing ball. I would’ve thought a standard neo-colonial set-up would have suited Israel – they give the PLO control over a Palestine state which is economically impoverished and which the PLO polices for Israel. That’s what the brits did with Ireland in 1921 – Churchill said it was protecting British interests “with an economy of British lives” because the new neo-colonial regime in the south would do all the suppressing of Irish republicanism. But the Israeli ruling class doesn’t even seem to want that. Read the rest of this entry » Last machinist at Achilles Industries Posted: 30 June, 2011 by Admin in At the coalface 0 By Ted Somerset It started off as a normal Achilles Wednesday. From the box at the plant gate I lugged in five litres of milk, stuck one container in the top office fridge and put the others in the cafe. Alex snuck in as usual to carry out his ritual theft. Every morning Alex would enter the café and ostentatiously deposit his smoko banana in the men’s fridge. While so doing, with his broad back concealing the fridge door, he’d slide a litre of new milk into his duffle bag to take home that night. Read the rest of this entry » A few thoughts on the politics of stasis* Posted: 29 June, 2011 by Admin in New Zealand history 4 by Daphna Whitmore One of the aims of the Redline contributors is to make sense of New Zealand politics. This means that as well as looking at the dramatic periods of class struggle, such as the Waterfront dispute of 1951, we try to understand the long periods marked by low levels of struggle, the long years of inactivity. Twenty years ago, workers were getting ready for a showdown. Tens of thousands joined demonstrations against the Employment Contract Bill. This attack by the National government came after two terms of a Labour government that had sold state assets off and dismantled or downsized industries which were centres of worker militancy (freezing works, mines, waterfront, seafarers, car plants, railways). There was an expectation that union leaders would call for strikes. Read the rest of this entry »