Workers in Auckland Fight Back
Maritime Union members started a protest at 7am today on board the vessel Rotoiti at the Ports of Auckland. The crew are drawing attention to the fact that when the Rotoiti is withdrawn from service on 26 November, it will be the end of the last New Zealand crewed ship working on the trans-Tasman trade. The 34 crew stopped work this morning and are preventing the ship from being unloaded. The vessel is currently owned by international shipping line Hapag Lloyd. [ Media Release ]
A 24-hour strike and community protest in support of workers at Independent Liquor took place on Wednesday. The workers took action in support of their pay claims and in opposition to the vicious bullying, intimidation and harassment of union members at this site. Independent Liquor workers are fighting for parity with other brewery workers. These workers typically earn $300 per week less than Lion and DB workers. This has been a long and very difficult battle carried out by the workers. The company has stonewalled negotiations and victimised Unite union members. Independent Liquor is now being sold, with the workers left high and dry, and with poor redundancy arrangements. [ 1 | 2 ] After two days on strike this week these workers are taking further strike action on Tuesday. [ Details ]
On Friday, around twenty people held a rally outside the Hyatt hotel where the Golden Service cleaning industry awards were being held. The protestors awarded cleaning contractor Spotless Cleaning with their own "Golden Toilet Duck" award for the lack of respect that the company shows cleaners. [ Report ]
With the University of Auckland proposing to restructure the faculties of Education, Business and Arts, causing the loss of 54 jobs, the Association of University Staff is calling for people to send protest emails to Unversity of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon. "Those being made redundant are some of the most esteemed staff in the faculties, and it appears that the restructuring is being undertaken without proper regard for either the integrity of teaching programmes or normal procedures of academic decision-making." [ Newswire Article | Take Action ]
TVNZ staff in Auckland and Wellington have been engaging in short lightning strikes, disrupting corporate media programmes, as part of their campaign for a 5% pay rise and the resolution of issues to do with their service leave. [ Read More ]
Links: Maritime Union | Unite | Anarcho-syndicalism | prole.info | libcom.org
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