Fuck John Key

January 29, 2009 by

(Music by Chuck Berry)

 On the plutey side of Auckland where the salaries swell

In a half acre mansion in the middle of Parnell

Created out of value stole from you and me

There lives a little arsehole that they call John Key

He learned how to play the figures really well

To help the bosses screw the workers down to hell

GO – GO JOHNNY  GO – GO JOHNNY  GO -GO JOHNNY  GO – GO – GO JOHNNY  GO –TORY FUCK OFF

He came into power by saying he’d tax much less

And doing that would fix the economic mess

Exploiters at the top are going to benefit

While all the rest of us sink lower in the shit

We didn’t used to live in bloody paradise

But no rights for ninety days just tightens up the vice

( chorus)

Now some say the way to lose this Tory germ

Is voting Labour back to have another term

Well, we tried that tactic back in ’84

The slash we got from Rogernomics still feels raw

Don’t let any yuppie bastard fool ya

We need a change of system, not a change of ruler

( chorus)

 Don Franks 2009

Filed Under: National Party

Sack the bosses

December 12, 2008 by

john-key-houseA dozen activists from Socialist Aotearoa, the Workers Party and the Greens protested outside John Key’s house today, against the passing of the 90-day bill. The new law which comes into force in March 2009 gives small employers the right to sack staff in the first 3 months without legal redress.

The noisy protest ruffled the feathers of some of the residents of Key’s leafy neighbourhood. Some parents complained saying “there are children in the area, you know!” But rather than being horrified by the picket a large bunch of 8 to 14 year olds joined in, obviously enjoying the picket theatrics.

The picketers chanting “So it didn’t take you long; workers rights down the John” got some disapproving looks from the Range Rover mums, but lots of support from the younger set.

Filed Under: National Party, Workers in Struggle

What can we expect from National?

December 7, 2008 by

The Spark December 2008 – January 2009
– Philip Ferguson

With National back in power, albeit as a minority government, what can workers expect? Is this going to be a repeat of the first term of the last National government (1990-1993), the one that produced the “mother of all budgets” (cutting the dole, the DPB and other benefits by around 25%) and the notorious Employment Contracts Act?
According to much of the left, it is going to be just as bad – or even worse! They think this is especially so because of ACT, and often insist on referring to the government as the National-ACT coalition. A number of important points are missed by that analysis, however.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Elections, National Party, Workers in Struggle

National maintains centre ground

December 5, 2008 by

Like clockwork, Treasury recently released a wishlist of attacks on the working class. These include increases in GST, a return to youth rates and a 90-day trial period for employment.

However, Finance Minister Bill English promptly shot them down, observing that these recommendations are nothing new. English stuck to the party line, stating, “We won’t be doing anything with GST. We are focused on personal tax rates.”

National’s tax cuts primarily benefit the rich, as with those of Labour. Introduced by the Fourth Labour government, GST is a tax on workers and consumers. Neither Labour nor National shows any inclination to increase it, or get rid of it. Despite the hopes of Treasury, and the fears of some on the left, National continues to maintain the centre ground; to pay for stable capitalist exploitation.

If the economy requires it, either party will attack.

Filed Under: 2008 Election, National Party

Solidarity to rebuild unions

December 3, 2008 by

-Daphna Whitmore

During the 1990s under the National government union membership fell by 50 percent. In 2000 just after Labour came in to office 69 percent of the public sector workers were covered by collective agreements and 21 percent of workers in private sector jobs.

Did that situation improve during nine years of “a worker-friendly government”, as the CTU leadership describe Labour?

Not at all. This year 59 percent of public sector workers have collective agreements, and a mere 10 percent of private sector workers.

The table below shows the grim reality.

union-membership-2008

And while the public sector collective agreement coverage declined, it is still significantly higher than the private sector.

A really serious trade union movement would look at assisting the private sector through subsidies from the much better off public sector. We need a union movement that takes the interests of the whole of the working class. That’s the sort of solidarity that would help build up unions in the private sector, which is where exploitation of the working class originates.

Filed Under: National Party, NZ Labour Party, Union movement, Workers in Struggle
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