Maritime Union of New Zealand

The Maritime Union of New Zealand is backing teachers demanding the new national standards for schools experiment be trialled.

Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says maritime workers were at Parliament today to support a NZEI organized rally.

“I was impressed with the attitude and knowledge of the teachers and parents there and their concern for the future of the New Zealand education system.”

He says the Maritime Union is especially concerned about the effect of the national standards on working class children and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“One more effective way the Government could help school children’s achievement is by putting more resources into education, but they seem more interested in tax cuts for multi millionaires.”

Mr Fleetwood says it seems the National Government is trying to save face over a flawed policy rather than improve the education system.

“Obviously there is widespread concern from teachers and principals, parents and education experts, who are the people who educate and care for children every day, so the Government could just trial the system to see whether national standards actually work.”

Mr Fleetwood says it appears the Government is not listening to the real experts – teachers and parents.

“A Government which does not listen to the workers at the coalface is a Government that has lost touch. It didn’t take this National Government long to lose touch.”

ENDS

For more information contact Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood on 021364649

Four Seafarers Scholarships are available from the New Zealand Seafarers Union Scholarship Trust, for current or former seafarer members, and children or grandchildren of New Zealand seafarers, for study in 2010 at University or technical institutes.

Details and application information for the scholarships is available here. Applications close in early December.

UPDATED: see TV interview here

The Maritime Union of New Zealand says that actions of Social Development Minister Paula Bennett and her office in releasing private information of New Zealand citizens is an attack of freedom of speech.

Maritime Union spokesperson Victor Billot says the deliberate release of the incomes of two solo mothers to the media was a sinister attempt to bully people into submission.

The two women had criticized cuts to training allowances that would make it more difficult for them to study and improve their qualifications.

“The actions of the Minister and her office are not about providing information for reasoned debate, it is clearly a tactic to frighten and bully anyone who stands up and has an opinion.”

Mr Billot says the Maritime Union was comprised of the former Waterfront Workers Union and Seafarers Union, both of which had stood alongside unemployed workers and beneficiaries when they were attacked in the 1990s by the National Government.

He says that it is unacceptable for politicians to use State agencies to gather specific personal information such as income of any citizens, whether they were privately employed, publicly employed, business owners or beneficiaries, for use in calculated media attacks.

“This action shows the contempt in which the National Party holds the working people of New Zealand and the unfitness of the Minister to hold this job.”

Mr Billot says the women involved were right to raise the issue of how cuts to training allowances was a bad idea.

He says the Government is making it harder for working class New Zealanders to get an education or improve their lot.

“The Government can’t defend its policies by rational debate, so it uses the age old tactic of attacking individuals.”