Grid of posts 2×3

  • “Illegal” solidarity action necessary to challenge employer offensive

    Ian Anderson “Blacking,” or black-listing of cargo, has a long and proud history among wharfies. In 1998 during the Australian Patricks dispute, when the Australian government in concert with private contractors launched an offensive to casualise Australian ports, wharfies in Auckland black-listed a ship loaded by scab labour. This international solidarity was a key factor… Read more

  • Solidarity around the country

    Kelly Pope Support for the striking Ports of Auckland workers has been evident in Christchurch and across the country this last month. On the 7th of March port workers in Lyttelton refused to unload the ship the Lisa Schulte which had been worked on by non-union workers in Auckland, following similar action by Wellington and… Read more

  • Spark Discussion Group: a space for radical ideas

    5pm, Mondays SU219 Student Union Building Victoria University of Wellington Read more

  • Report from the picket line

    Mike Kay Morale on the picket line remained strong on 20 March, despite the wet and wild weather. “We work out in this weather 24/7, so it’s no problem for us,” explained one wharfie. Another striker described how important the public support has been for them: “We had runners doing Round the Bays come past… Read more

  • Global union movement backs the Ports of Auckland workers

    A powerful group of global unions which between them represent tens of millions of unionised workers, are now on ‘red alert’ over the treatment of workers in New Zealand that is being dramatically illustrated by disputes at the Ports of Auckland, Affco and the Oceania care company. The warning was sounded last month by the… Read more

  • Senegal goes to the polls for second time after months of protest

    Byron Clark Last February, The Spark reported on the Occupy Nigeria protests that were taking place. Nigeria is not the only African country where massive demonstrations are erupting, indeed some commentators, such as Al Jazzera are starting to talk of an ‘African Spring’ similar to the ‘Arab Spring’ of 2011. As a continent subjected to… Read more