Labour's charade and the media facade

Trade unionists become used to inaccuracies in media reporting on union issues. But only rarely are the inaccuracies so huge that the media story conveys the exact opposite of what actually happened. An NZPA article about the Go Wellington bus company in yesterday's Dominion Post (reprinted below) falls into that category.

I am the questioner mentioned in the third paragraph of the story. I was not speaking as a "union representative", as the report claims. How could I? I had no mandate from my union for the issue I was raising. That's why I prefaced my question with an introduction, "I am the Wellington Central candidate for RAM - Residents Action Movement, and also the party's industrial relations spokesperson". But the reporter decided I was really speaking for the union, instead.

The paper didn't report my actual question to Trevor Mallard, either. I asked him about the recent dispute on the Wellington buses, where the company unilaterally changed rosters and overtime payments in 2007, reducing average annual take-home pay from around $40,000 to around $37,000. They did this during the term of a Collective Employment Agreement, when it's illegal for drivers to take action to defend themselves. "How would Labour respond to calls to extend workers' freedom to strike?", I asked Trevor.

Trevor's response was to accuse the union of spreading misinformation about drivers' pay. You can't rely on the Tramways Union, he said.

He paused at this point, and looked around the room, hearing the intake of breath and seeing the bodies which had stiffened at his words. This was, after all, a forum hosted by the Council of Trade Unions. He appeared to remember that in front of this particular audience, it was good to pretend that Labour supported trade unions. While it might go down well in front of his usual audiences, it was not a good look to be attacking trade unions here, in front of these people.

In the space of a pause, Trevor may have decided to restore Labour's famous "even-handedness" in industrial relations ("We don't support the union, or the employer, our job is to govern in the interests of all - in the dispute, we only want to make sure the players are talking to each other and following the law [which has been carefully crafted to advantage the employer]).

For whatever reason, having attacked the Tramways Union, he then went on to attack the bus company with equal vigour.

The real story here is Trevor Mallard attacking a union in front of a CTU audience.

What gets reported? Trevor the champion of the vulnerable, standing up for the underdog.

He never answered my question, either. This didn't go unnoticed by EPMU representatives at the forum. They copped even greater attacks from Air NZ, who deliberately waited until mid-way through the term of a collective agreement (when action is illegal under Labour's anti-strike laws) to chop hundreds of jobs in 2006 and 2007 - as the shareholding minister in the Labour government looked on, even-handedly.

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www.stuff.co.nz/vote08/4722196a28479.html

Mallard savages 'dogs' who put up bus fares
NZPA | Friday, 10 October 2008

Cabinet minister Trevor Mallard has called a bus company "buggers" and "dogs" for putting up prices for elderly passengers who do not get free travel under the SuperGold Card.

Mr Mallard, the labour minister, was speaking at a Council of Trade Unions labour relations election forum when he was asked about bus drivers affected by a recent lockout.

A union representative said the drivers had pay reduced because their shifts were changed.

Mr Mallard weighed in on a different issue. "Those buggers, you know how we've just given free off-peak travel to over-65s, they used to have a card which you got when you were 60, they've just put the price up from $5 to $12 if you are aged between 60 and 65 and you want a pass.

"They are a bunch of dogs...."

This month a NZ First initiative, costing $72 million over four years and put into place by Labour, started giving free off-peak travel to people over 65 using their SuperGold Card.

Now New Zealand Bus has scrapped cheap fares for people aged 60 to 65. In the past elderly passengers could pay $5 for a day pass to travel on Go Wellington, Valley Flyer and Airport Flyer bus services. Now the concession has been scrapped and they have to pay $12.

The NZ Bus general manager for the southern region, Zane Fulljames, said seniors were now classified as over-65s so the younger group no longer got the discount. He said the company was aligning itself with the Government scheme.

"Given the distance travelled we believe it still represents good value for money, and that $12 a day for unlimited travel still represents significant value. It is certainly cheaper than the cost of running a car and the associated costs of fuel and parking."

Mr Mallard said the argument did not make sense as companies were fully funded for the free travel for over-65s and there was no justification for raising prices for those in their early 60s.

Mr Fulljames said older people could still get cheap options.

For $5 a Valley Flyer Daytripper would give off-peak travel within the Valley area. A $5 Go Wellington Daytripper would allow travel within the Wellington area.

The $12 Star Pass gave unlimited offpeak travel between the Hutt Valley and Wellington City.