Solidarity Library

A book of condolences for the family of Folole Muliaga will be opened by the Solidarity Union, who organised a protest at the headquarters of Mercury Energy on Thursday. The book will be on the Union's stall at South Auckland's Otara Markets from 10am to 1pm, and has already been signed by the local Resident Action Movement's ARC Councillor Robyn Hughes, manager of the Mangere Community Centre Roger Fowler and Solidarity Union Secretary Joe Carolan.

The Union will also be calling for a minute of silence for Folole at 12 noon this Saturday June 2 at the Markets, in solidarity with her grieving relatives. A community coalition is being formed at the Mangere Community and Learning Centre which is expected to meet next weekend.

Labels: protest

Trade unionists and community activists from South Auckland will join forces tomorrow at an angry picket at the headquarters of Mercury Energy, 602 Great South Road in Green Lane, tomorrow Thurs 31 May at 4pm, to protest the death of Folole Muliaga.

Folole died after her power was disconnected from her house by a contractor employed by Mercury Energy, leaving her family to grieve in the dark. Her family had warned and pleaded with the company beforehand that her life support required electricity. She was $200 behind her bill.

Protest organiser Joe Carolan-
"Yet again we see a so-called State Owned Enterprise put profit before people in New Zealand. Mercury Energy should be renamed Murder Energy- they are corporate bully boys who prey on the weak, old and vulnerable of South Auckland, and are no better than the corrupt money lenders who plague our communities. They rely on the fact that people feel alone and isolated- thats why we want to give them a dose of people power tomorrow they will never forget.

Trade unions like my own Solidarity Union will join community activists at Murder Energy Headquarters tomorrow, 602 Great South Rd, Greenlane. We will be calling for the sacking of Murder Energys CEOs and their blood soaked moenymen, and for proper democratic community control over the decision making to ensure that this tragedy that Folole and her family suffered is never, ever repeated. We call on the people of Auckland who are angry about this to come join us and say People Before Profit- Murder Energy- Never Again!"

Labels: protest

Subway bosses go and hang-
Justice for Jackie Lang!

Saturday, May 12 2007

The 155 Queen St Branch of Subway in Auckland was blockaded for two hours in a joint direct action organised by Radical Youth and Workers Charter. The blockade demanded justice for sacked Subway worker Jackie Lang, who was fired by the Dunedin branch for sharing her free Coke with a distressed friend. Reps from the NDU, SFWU, Unite and Solidarity unions were in attendance, in a high spirited protest that drove most of the store's custom away for its duration.





"Workers in New Zealand are sick of bullying, intimidation and unfair dismissals and sackings." said Solidarity Union activist and protest organiser Joe Carolan.

"Jackie Lang's case is the straw that broke the camel's back. This Saturday, Workers Charter call on all decent people and trade unionists to come stand up for Jackie's rights. Drop the charges, and compensate Jackie for the emotional distress you have caused her, Subway. Otherwise, pickets on all your stores in Auckland will spread and grow. Have some respect for your workers!"

"Radical Youth is shocked by this example of a multinational corporation bullying a poor worker for no reason" said RY spokesperson Eliana Darroch . “Subway's continued use of youth rates and its treatment of Jackie Lang clearly shows it is a company that holds its workers in contempt" added Ms Darroch. "Radical Youth will not stand for this bullying and will carry out actions against Subway if this case is not dropped."

Organisers have vowed that lightning blockades will occur at other Subway franchisees until Jackie is reinstated or compensated, with a full apology from the Subway Corporation, who have tried to wash their hands of the affair so far. They also leafletted and talked to Subway workers about their right to organise in a union.

Labels: union

It’s been 6 months since Solidarity presented Metro management with a petition signed by more than 80% of the South Auckland branch requesting a 10x2 redundancy provision to be included into their contracts. Metro GlassTech is pleased to finally announce a 4x2 redundancy policy. That’s great news! But it does indeed fall short of the request for 10x2 by 85 workers. The offer by Metro is, as they claim, a comprehensive industry based standard. Yet Solidarity Union struggle to understand what an industry based redundancy policy has got to do with Metro Workers!

When considering redundancy in general treats no worker in one particular industry any differently to a worker in another, we wonder why Metro have concluded that 4x2 is appropriate. Being made redundant is the same as it would be in any job in any industry. And we wonder that although Metro appreciates the patience of staff, was it at all necessary for us to wait 6 months for a response? Was it at all necessary for the company to spend $20,000 or more on a lawyer to investigate amending the clause?

Was it at all necessary that Metro would demonstrate an absolute blatant disregard for the voices of their own workers on such a serious issue? Metro management would have you believe that there is no real threat of redundancy now or in the future. Yet we see it all around us! According to a local newspaper article that addressed our picket outside Metro GlassTech Headquarters in March, Daryl Mac commented that the union was blowing things out of proportion on the matter or redundancy. We disagree.

All the union knows is that the company was sold last year which increases the risk of job loses. Redundancies are a cold hard reality and make no mistake; they could easily happen here in spite of what management is telling you. Your contracts are not founded on a person’s word! Especially, thank goodness, one who says one thing then does another! Simply being told that no redundancies are intended is absolutely unacceptable. A 10x2 redundancy provision will do much to keep the powers that be to their word!

We also wonder if there are workers out there that have no idea what a 10x2 redundancy package means. Let’s elaborate on that for you. 10x2 simply means that when made redundant, for your first year of service at Metro, you will receive 10 weeks pay at your current rate. In addition, for every year served after that, you will receive 2 weeks pay for each of those years. For example, 5 years service on a rate of say $18 per hour will work out to 1st year = $7200 plus 4 years = $5760. That’s a total of $12,960. 10 years, a total of $20,160. 15 years service will amount to $27,360. Hope that helps.

No one can argue that the union is up against some pretty tough negotiators at Metro. Management has failed to negotiate a health and safety induction required by law for Union Organizers to enter the premises. Members of management attended our meetings whose presence effectively proved too intimidating for workers to speak up with any of their concerns. Yet the opportunity for the workers to have their say was the whole purpose of the meeting. Management claim that the invitation was for all. Indeed it was, yet the invitation was for all those who were interested.

It was obvious from the beginning that Metro management were not interested in any union becoming involved in their business. We are not even allowed to erect our own notice board! We also requested a paid consultation meeting with the 85 signatories of the petition to discuss the company’s proposal. We have now, 6 months later learned that it is 4x2. To date, the company has still not come back to us with a reply! Yet regardless, we continue our fight to gain better conditions for workers that we believe, are entitled to.

You have been told in the past that there would be some exciting new changes happening. Where are they? You were told by Cameron Gregory to give him until Christmas 06 as apparently he had some exciting new plans! Where are they? You were told when workers were packing up and leaving for National Glass that those who stayed loyal to Metro would be rewarded! Have you yet received your reward? No, you haven’t! You’re still waiting aren’t you?

This year you will receive a pay rise of 4%. Inflation has been calculated at 4.1%. That is not including the rise in petrol and housing etc. So, if you accept 4% you are essentially accepting a pay cut! We simply advise you to hold off on signing your contract. You have a legal right to do so. In fact the company will inform you of this and encourage you to seek independent advice. Solidarity Union say, “We will not wait any longer for any so called ‘exciting changes’ or ‘rewards for our loyalty’. We will form a collective and we encourage you to join with us!” It’s about you and your families.

At no time will you ever betray Metro by going Union. Your loyalty must first and foremost be to yourself! Under a Collective Employment Contract, we will be negotiating a 10x2 redundancy clause and an 8% pay rise. Stand with us! We gain our strength in numbers. Just look at what we have accomplished so far just as we are! Can Metro afford to pay what we ask? Of course! Their annual turn over is $140 million. Catalyst Investments is worth billions! And to think that it is you and your sweat, workmanship and dedication that generates that money! That just doesn’t seem right now does it? For your own sake, please reconsider signing when the contract renewal comes around.

The government claims that inflation in New Zealand is low, somewhere around 2 to 3%.
CPI (inflation) increase 3.4% for year ending dec 2006.

But inflation figures are not factoring in some of the huge increases in workers cost of living, like housing, petrol and transport. For example, electricity has gone up by 10% in 2 yrs , 60% in last 5 years.

House prices have gone through the roof in Auckland- most families can't afford a house even with two incomes coming in. According to the NZ Herald (30/4/07), the cheapest house in Otara is now selling for $300,000, and prices have increased by 20% every year for the last five years. Rent has also shot up by 30%, as landlords want to pay off their steep mortgages.

Petrol prices are increasing every month, and with peak oil, look set to continue increasing in the future. petrol increase 33% (rounded) since feb05 (39c over 1.17) Busses have gone up by 8% and trains by 16% in Auckland alone. Even the basics like food are shooting up. With a low wage economy, NZ workers suffer a lot from high debt, and at 7.75%, interest rates for bank loans in New Zealand are the highest in the Western world.

A pay rise of 4% with price increases like this is really a pay cut. A genuine increase would add 4% on top of inflation- that's why Solidarity is arguing for
8%.






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Labels: inflation

You and your family need enough money to live comfortably and you’re entitled to a fair wage for the work you do.

We keep hearing about companies reporting record profits and bosses having their highest pay ever. But our wages aren’t keeping up with the cost of living. Housing is too expensive and food prices are rising. Minimum wage rises unions fought for are helping the lowest paid workers, but still isn’t enough. Companies continue to slash working conditions even from better paid jobs. Kiwis work some of the longest hours in the western world and have the lowest amount of family time.

Many don’t know that we have rights at work.
That’s where the union comes in.

A union is when we come together as workers to protect our rights and to get a better deal at work. As members of a union we support each other so that we don’t have to face a problem or negotiate improvements to our working conditions on our own. When we stick together we have a much better chance of getting a better deal and protecting what we currently have.
Unlike our jobs, a union is democratic and is run by us, the members. As a union member you have a say in determining what we do. You elect your workplace union reps (delegates) and decide what you focus on for your new collective agreement. You also have a say in how the wider union is run. You have a right under NZ law to be a union member.

Unions work.

It’s a fact than union collective agreements (contracts) have higher pay rates, pay rises and better conditions than non-union workplaces. Union members also get the added security of union organisers, lawyers, workplace representation when you need as well as other union benefits.
And you’re already benefitting from unions. Holidays, sick leave, minimum wage rises, paid parental leave and other benefits we take for granted today, didn’t simply fall out of the sky. These were once considered radical demands that were won when our parents and grandparents organised together collectively as a union.

The more of your co-workers who join the union, the stronger we are and the better the deal.

Being a union member is about making a difference for our friends, family, co-workers and our community. We lift the game for every other worker in New Zealand, most importantly for Maori, Pacific Islanders, women, youth and migrants who are disproportionately in lower paid jobs through no fault of their own.
We have a strong history of fighting against poverty, unemployment, the rising cost of living and for equal pay for women and the abolishment of youth rates. We have also fought for free education, multi-culturalism, recognition of Maori as Tangata Whenua, to keep NZ GE and nuclear free ,environmental sustainability and fair solutions to climate change.

We are an independent voice for workers.

Labels: union

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Under Section 20 of the Employment Relations Act 2000, a union has a legal right to access any workplace to recruit new members, and communicate with and service existing members. Solidarity Union endeavours to do this in a professional and efficient manner, and has given these guidelines to field organisers to aid this process:

1. Upon arriving at a site, the organiser should inform the shift manager or owner that they are on the premises, and that they wish to access their members and/or talk to non-union workers about the union.

2. The organiser should then arrange with the manager to carry out this process in as efficient a manner as possible. It is to the advantage of both organiser and manager that as many workers are met as quickly and as punctually as possible. For these reasons, organisers try to contact sites at off-peak times. Organisers have many sites to visit every day, and thus wish to minimise ³dead time² waiting around at sites. In return, they keep contact time with workers to ³a reasonable duration² per person, as required under the Employment Relations Act.

3. Organisers also communicate with union members and non-union workers through the union newsletter. This can help speed up the communication process by avoiding the need to see every worker individually. Sites should have an agreement to leave a union newsletter folder on the staff noticeboard or some other visible place.

4. Meetings with workers should take place in a quiet area of the site away from loud machinery and other distractions. It should also be as private as conditions allow. Names of workers should never be shouted out by either managers or organisers. Meeting with the union is part of any worker¹s democratic and legal rights, and needs to be respected as such. An organiser requires table space to lay out union bulletins and other union material.

5. When all workers in the site have been visited, the shift manager should inform the organiser of this fact. Workers who do not wish to join the union on this visit need to inform an organiser of this fact themselves, face-to-face ­ this cannot be conveyed by a manager or employer. An organiser who has not contacted all union members and non-union workers may leave union newsletters and forms with a site delegate.

6. A meeting with a site delegate that is slightly longer than the time usually spent with other workers can shorten or eliminate contact time with those other workers. That is good for both the employer and the union.

7. Organisers should thank the shift manager or employer for their co-operation at the end of a site visit. Organisers, workers and managers are under pressure and have deadlines to meet ­ these protocols try to make this process as punctual and efficient as possible.

8. In the event of any organiser encountering hostility, obstruction or unprofessional conduct at a site, they are to immediately contact the Solidarity Union secretary with a report. If there is major obstruction or a violation of the union¹s right to visit, the organiser will withdraw and the matter will go straight to the union¹s legal team. Solidarity Union has a strict policy of follow-up on all violations of our access rights to workplaces under Section 20 of the Employment Relations Act. Those found guilty of obstruction are liable for individual fines of up to $10,000 in addition to their company being fined up to $5,000. Solidarity Union prefers to resolve any confrontation without recourse to legal processes through discussions with a manager. Such situations can arise because of a lack of knowledge about a union¹s legal rights on a site not covered by any union before.

Labels: union

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