Posted on 01 December 2010. Tags: ACT, education, National Party, solidarity, students, Unions
The Maritime Union is supporting the Save Our Services campaign by New Zealand students to stop voluntary student membership (VSM) of student associations.
Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says that student associations have served students well.
Heather Roy’s Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill would make life worse for most students if passed.
“It is obvious that the result of the VSM bill will be to reduce the services and advocacy that student associations currently provide to tertiary students, as has been seen in Australia.”
Collective strength was important for any group such as students and workers who would otherwise have little influence or say over large institutions.
Poll research carried out shows that the majority of New Zealanders think that students should make the choice about how they operate their student associations.
The fact the Bill was the offspring of the ACT Party was a major concern, says Mr Fleetwood.
“This bill is being pushed by a political party that has no credibility whatsoever, due to their hypocrisy on every issue they supposedly stand for, from perk busting to getting tough on crime.”
“How ACT consider they have the right to propose major law changes rather than just hide in embarrassment at their past record is beyond belief.”
The John Key Government should drop the bill before it went any further.
Posted in Media releases
Posted on 23 February 2010. Tags: ACT, employment relations, Government, Jobs, Roger Douglas, wages, workers rights, Youth, youth rates
The Maritime Union of New Zealand has poured scorn on a bill introduced to Parliament by ACT MP Roger Douglas to reintroduce youth rates.
The Minimum Wage (Mitigation of Youth Unemployment) Amendment Bill was drawn from the Members’ bills ballot yesterday, and the Union is urging the Government to distance itself from it.
Maritime Union National President Phil Adams says the best thing to do would be for Roger Douglas to retire now before causing more harm.
“If he is so worried about younger workers, he could move aside and that would open up a job opportunity for a young worker with relevant ideas who is living in the real world.”
He says that Roger Douglas is pulling down an MPs salary, a parliamentary pension and national super, but he wants young people starting out in life to be trapped in low wages while accommodation, food and education costs skyrocketed.
Mr Adams says unemployment is a result of free market economic policies, and when New Zealand had a highly regulated economy and unionized workforce during the 1950s and 1960s it had high rates of economic growth and extremely low unemployment.
“Ever since we have gone down the Roger Douglas path, things have got worse for workers. Unemployment soared under his policies in the 1980s, it got worse when his ideas were carried on in the 1990s and now we have unemployment peaking again under the National Government once again.”
He says that training costs should be carried by employers, as they profited out of employing skilled workers so they should pay for their training.
Mr Adams says over the last generation, the share of income going to workers has decreased and the share of income going to owner’s profits has increased.
“The answer to boost employment and wages is simple. Lift the minimum wage, keep youth rates, get workers into unions, and make sure workers are getting their share of the wealth they produce.”
Youth rates were abolished in 2007.
Posted in Media releases
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