The Workplace – FightBack

Lessons of 1951: The Waterfront Lockout 60 Years On

March 6, 2011 by Byron

By Josh Glue, Workers Party Hamilton Branch

The waterfront lockout of 1951 was one of the most important events in New Zealand labour history. For 151 days the men who worked the waterfront and those who supported them fought back against the combined power of the ship-owners and the state, determined to force cutbacks upon them and destroy their union. Seen as an historical defeat by some, an inspiring fight-back by others, the waterfront lockout holds important lessons to those who struggle for workers rights today.

In this first of two articles about this pivotal moment in the history of the working class of this country, we will look at the history of the Waterfront Workers Union and the events that led up to the lockout. In the second article, to be published in the April issue of The Spark Magazine, we will examine the way the lockout ended, the repercussions of that conclusion then, and the relevance of these events for working New Zealanders today.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Labour history, Workers in Struggle

Victory for Dunedin Pizza Hut workers

March 1, 2011 by Byron

Alastair Reith

Pizza Hut workers in Dunedin have battled for their rights against the bosses and won.

Dunedin’s two Pizza Hut stores were recently sold to new bosses. Upon taking ownership of the stores, the new bosses tried to force all the workers to sign new, individual contracts with inferior terms and conditions and a 90 day fire at will probationary period. This would be laughable if it wasn’t so outrageous – at the North D store the workers have been there for between two and eight years, and without a doubt know the job much better than their new employers!

What the manager clearly didn’t take into account was that these workers are union members. Both sites are Unite Union strongholds – the workers are staunch, aware of their rights, and aware of both the need to fight back and the power they have when they do so. All the workers refused to sign the new contracts, and today they walked off the job in protest.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Workers in Struggle

Call centre workers strike to ‘make a point to all those out there struggling with the same thing’

February 22, 2011 by Admin

Call centre staff who are members of Unite Union took strike action yesterday morning against their employer Salmat (also known as

Salesforce). Approximately 40 members took part in the action as part of the effort to achieve what will be their first pay rise in three

years. The worksite is located at the corporate complex on 666 Great South Road in Penrose, Auckland. With its objective of rebuilding amongst the vast unorganised sections of the working class, Unite has been present on the site for over two years.

Salmat is an outsource operation that holds contracts with major companies, one being Vodafone, for which Salmat has a contract for

handling both customer and business calls. In terms of the modern workplace it’s a success to have a strong union membership in an outsource operation.

Speaking from the picket line, Ross Asiata, one of Unite’s delegates at the workplace stated to media “Everything else around us increases, GST etc, but our pay rise (read ‘pay rate’) stays the same. As you can see behind me that’s the staff that are in the same boat as me, trying to make a point to management and to all those others that are out there struggling with the same thing”.

Filed Under: Workers in Struggle

How to fight redundancies

January 4, 2011 by Admin

Don Franks

A contribution to a discussion among Workers Party members

I don’t have a problem in principle with unions calling on the government to intervene on redundancies.

Its a call that can come up from the floor of union meetings.

If I had a say at such a meeting I’d say, well, I don’t expect the bastards to do anything, and the history of both parties shows that they’re unlikely to help now. However,we’ve got nothing to lose so if you want to put it to them, it can’t hurt to try. I’d couple that with specific concrete demands related to the specific situation, to try and forestall any unwanted type of government help, such as counselling. It certainly is inadequate and a betrayal for union leaders to call on the government for help and leave it at that. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Fighting Redundancies

Casino workers hit New Year with festivity and militancy

January 2, 2011 by Admin

Jared Phillips

SkyCity Casino workers in Auckland took strike action after the clock turned twelve on New Year’s eve, with more than 150 employees filing from the building and filling up its Victoria street side, and with the same number, combined, walking out from later shifts.