• Ivory Tower Syndrome – I have never worked night shifts on heavy industrial equipment at a port. Yet I feel confident in explaining where others who do are getting it wrong.

• Ideological neutrality assumption – I see myself as being above the petty interests and squabbles of the world and instead believe that issues can simply be solved by following the advice of “the intelligent” whose intellectual superiority can overcome any obstacle. However in reality far from being neutral I work off the assumptions of the political and economic status quo and thus effectively take the side of the powerful and wealthy.

• Middle class post materialism – Because I have economic security in my own life, and have limited insight into economic reality in 21st century New Zealand, I am free to sermonize that others unhappiness with their income is merely a psychological problem.

• Self Maximizing Individual Rationality Argument – I will criticize others adherence to what I perceive as lost causes because I have no commitment to anything greater than myself, so I find it hard to understand how others may make a stand for principle and in doing so, create positive social change.

• Knowledge Gap Situation – Failure to understand some of the basic issues behind a situation can lead to suggestions that may or may not be useful.

1. Sunk cost illusion:- Refusing to walk out of a lost cause.
2. In group bias :- My group is superior, than yours.
3. Attribution error :- Our failures are due to circumstances while other’s are due to their mistakes.
4. Affirming the consequence:- I am unhappy and have insufficient money. More money will make me happy.
5. Anchoring heuristic:- I am working shifts. I am unhappy. Perhaps you would be unhappy anyway.
6. Charisma effect :- I have been told that I am overworked and underpaid. It does not matter that I was happy. It must be correct.
7. Curing symptoms :- I am unhappy at work. Giving me more money and less work will make me happy.

Obviously I can not describe the entire subject in 7 lines. This is just to introduce you to something that would be of tremendous value in negotiating. It spells out clearly many points that have been made by various people over the last few months. Only the intelligent will see themself there. I can?(comment #2)

The Ports Bosses are using bully-boy tactics to break a union and it’s members. This is completely unacceptable. I’ve posted this on Facebook.

Kia Kaha Workers. Hang in there, you aren’t alone.