March for social justice, May 1, Auckland

Sunday May 1st, 2pm 

Rally at Britomart (Bottom of Queen St) 

John Key is not working for New Zealand. A new Coalition of community groups, people from religious organisations and unions has been formed. Our slogan is Social Justice (meeting occurred on the 29th March 2011).

Our aim is to challenge the policies of John Key and his National led coalition.We believe they are not serving the interests of the majority of New Zealanders.

We are organising a MOBILISATION of ordinary Kiwis on SUNDAY 1ST MAY. Also more action when National announces the BUDGET on 19th May 2011.

Throughout the world ordinary people are challenging the Free Market prescription from government cuts to privatisation/asset sales. New Zealanders are angry about GST, milk prices and secret Trade deals, cuts to Early Childhood education and privatisation of electricity.

Meredydd Barrar, spokesperson says, “Enough is enough. Recent government announcements about cuts and a Budget that will certainly condemn the majority of New Zealanders to relative poverty is not acceptable. Children and struggling families as well as students looking to further their higher education will be penalised”.

“There is a latent anger in New Zealand at the moment. We aim to translate it into action. Nationals policies of cut backs and austerity measures will increase the gap between rich and poor which is already the 6th highest in the OECD. We believe this is unacceptable and uncivilised”.

“New Zealanders deserve better than an economic philosophy that only seems to make bankers, corporates and speculators richer”.

Meredydd Barrar,
Spokesperson, march for social justice

GP&JA: protest at US consulate, 2pm Saturday

By Mike Treen
Global Peace & Justice Auckland Spokesperson

The bombing of Libya by the US, France and Britain has nothing to do with the plight of the people living under a brutal dictatorship.

The people of Libya are simply a convenient fig leaf for an attempt to reimpose control over the region by their former colonial masters.

Every military intervention by the US and its allies in recent decades has started as an alleged “humanitarian intervention to stop a brutal regime oppressing its people”. Yet every one of these interventions – from Somalia to Yugoslavia and Afghanistan to Iraq – has ended up in disasters for their own people with the death toll in the millions. The client regimes that were established are in all cases led by corrupt local warlords whose only distinguishing feature is that they are happy to sell of the resources of their peoples to their imperial masters.

‘Tour of shame’ to target unscrupulous employers in earthquake hit city

TOUR OF SHAME!


On Sunday 19th Sept Unite Union will be conducting lightning pickets across the city of Christchurch to name and shame the unscrupulous employers that have put profit before the welfare of their staff during the aftermath of the 7.1 earthquake.

“Just like the people of Christchurch, most companies have behaved amazingly well, whilst there are those individuals who have chosen to act appallingly during this uncertain time.”  Said Matt Jones, Christchurch Unite Organiser

“Subway, Garden City Bowl, First Security and Reading Cinema can expect a loud and noisy picket outside their premises this weekend. John Key put the responsibility firmly on the shoulders of larger businesses to look after their staff, the mentioned companies made the decision to ignore this advice and will now reap the consequences.” said Mr Jones.

Staff have worked under duress, were refused leave, denied payment during site closures - forcing them to use annual leave to cover the shortfall, whilst offers of counselling services were few and far between. This has all been in the name of saving money and making a quick buck.

“Companies trading in fast food, retail, hotels, education, security and cinemas have risen to the challenge, it is a real shame that members of Unite Union and the wider community have been let down by just a handful of nasty employers.” Said Matt Jones.

The pickets begin from midday Sunday at the Subway between Subway corner of Barbadoes St and Cashel St where the tour will continue across the city.

ENDS


Matt Jones | Christchurch & Nelson organiser

Website: www.unite.org.nz
Email: matthew(at)unite.org.nz

Burger Fuel pickets this Saturday, noon to 2pm

By Simon Oosterman

Hi everyone,

Everything is go for Burger Fuel picketting this Saturday from 12:00 – 2:00pm in your area! Below are the updated contacts for each area. Please forward this email amongst your contacts. Apologies for cross-posting.

We still need contacts/organisers in Tauranga, Taupo, New Plymouth and Napier. If you know someone who you think would be good or could commit to being a contact person and can get supporters along, please contact me asap on 021 922 551. We have had contact from these areas but they would like someone to organise the picket for them.

Kia Ora Gaza fundraising gig

BREAK THE BLOCKADE MUSIC SHOW

Featuring:

• TIGI NESS (UNITY PACIFIC)

• THE FRANK E. EVANS BAND

• LUKE HURLEY

2 hours of Kiwi musicians performing for their sisters & brothers besieged in Gaza.

5.30pm – 7.30pm on Sunday, 5 September.
Dogs Bollix Bar, 2 Newton Rd, Central Auckland (near the corner with K’Rd).

Admission free. Donations collected for Kia Ora Gaza. Visit kiaoragaza.net.


 

Burger Fuel picket Saturday September 4, 12–2pm

Help bring home our first 90-day victory!

Joanne Bartlett was fired on day 89 of her 90 day trial period at Mission Bay Burger Fuel. She was fired just after asking for more than one 10 minute break during her eight hour shift.

Joanne received high grades in the company’s training program, has culinary school qualifications and regularly worked extra shifts when asked.

No reason was given for her dismissal.

Activists picketed her store last Friday.

During the picket company chief executive Josef Roberts told TV3 that Burger Fuel franchises would use the 90 day bill again in the future. When the cameras stopped rolling, Roberts pleaded with the picketers to stop as the store had lost their entire lunch trade which would significantly impact on their tight margins.

This CEO told Unite that he would make an agreement with them if they stopped taking action. Burger fuel has since reneged on its agreement.

It’s time to send Burger Fuel a clear message. We need to picket as many stores as we can on the same day at the same time and drive the message home.

It is important for the workers movement that we get a concrete win at Burger Fuel. Not only do we need to send a strong message to other employers that we won’t stop until we win, we need to show activists that there is action that they can be involved in that works and is fun.

That’s why we are organising another round of protests on Saturday 4th of September from 12 noon – 2pm during Burger Fuel’s busiest lunch break.

The first action in Auckland was successful and Wellington activists were successful the following day. It will work again, but this time it will hurt them more.

We need unions and activist groups to commit to adopting/organising a store and to appoint a contact person to help organise others to attend.

Already Australian unionists have agreed to picket the two Sydney Burger Fuels.

We are currently developing flyers and other materials for the picket and we will get them to you before the action.

There are Burger Fuel stores in  Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Rotorua, Taupo, New Plymouth, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington and Sydney.

Please email simon.oosterman(at)ndu.org.nz or txt / phone him at 021 922 551 to say if:

a)      You can join a picket,

b)      The store you can picket and

c)      If you (or someone from your organisation) can commit to being a contact person and help organise the picket at that store.

In the areas with multiple stores we may meet up at a single store before the picket to see what numbers we have on the day to make sure we’ve got enough for each store.

David Rovics tour of New Zealand starts tonight

Radical singer song-writer David Rovics is back in Aotearoa again, playing the first gig of his tour in Christchurch tonight.

UNITYblog interviewed David last time he was here, a year ago.

Full tour details below.

The 350 Global Work Working Bee on 10/10/10

10/10/10 — “The Global Work Working Bee” — is a day when thousands of communities across the globe will come together to celebrate climate solutions. These climate actions will raise awareness and demonstrate that another world is possible. With your help, 10/10/10 is going to be the biggest day of practical action to cut carbon that the world has ever seen.

Check out www.350.org.nz for more details on these ideas, or visit wiki.350.org/get+to+work to see suggestions added by people from all over the world.  As we all finalise our local actions there will be more & more detail coming up on the website over the next few weeks.

What’s 350 again?

350ppm (parts per million) of CO2 is the number that science shows is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.  It’s the number humanity needs to get back below as soon as possible to avoid setting off irreversible ‘tipping points’ in the climate.

We’re currently at 390ppm and rising by about 2ppm a year, but we’re getting to work to start turning that around.

350.org is a worldwide movement which has spread to over 180 countries. 350 Aotearoa is the New Zealand branch. 

More on the science at http://www.350.org.nz/about/why-350

‘Occupation & Resistance – Photos from Palestine’ in Christchurch

A devastatingly courageous photo exhibition is opening at the Linwood Community Arts Centre in Christchurch on 15th August.

Showcasing the daily experience of Palestinians living under occupation, the exhibition features bold images from the front line of the struggle for justice in Palestine.

This exhibition is a rare opportunity for New Zealanders to see a different side of the conflict.

“We want to show the different ways in which Israel destroys people’s livelihoods, homes, land and hope” says Israeli peace activist and exhibition organiser Kerem Blumberg.

“But we also want to emphasise that Palestinians and Israelis continue to work together towards real peace and justice, through non-violent resistance to the Israeli state and military. Now that I am living in New Zealand, it feels like something that I can share,” continues Kerem.

“I have found other people here who have been witness to the occupation who wanted to make the exhibition happen”.


These moving images are the work of the widely published group ‘ActiveStills’ a collective of photographers, based in Israel, who believe in the power of photography as a tool for social justice. Formed in 2005, they have since held and participated in exhibitions in Munich, Olympia, Bil’in (West Bank), Tel Aviv, Toronto, Montreal, Malmo, Lund and Amsterdam.

Date of exhibition: 15 August- 22 August 2010, 12-4 pm.
Opening 5-7, 15 August 2010
Location: Linwood Community Arts Centre, 

Corner Stanmore Road and Worchester Street, Linwood.

CTU calls Fairness at Work Rallies for 21st August

Please note that the CTU is holding Fairness at Work Rallies in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin on Saturday 21^st August from 1 pm to 3 pm.

 

Exact venues for the march and rallies are to be confirmed.

 

These rallies are aimed at:

 

(a)   Demonstrating our concern about employment law changes proposed by the Government.

(b)   Reaching out to the wider community to get support for Fairness at Work.

 

At a planning meeting today, we have discussed advertising for the rallies, a leaflet aimed at the general public to be distributed prior to the rallies, placards, flags and banners for the rallies, on-the-ground organisation for each rally including marshals, speakers, sound system, and so forth.

Workers rights: Christchurch protest, Sunday August 8

12 noon

corner Colombo and High Streets

This area is home to McDonalds, KFC and Burger King, where the staff are some of the most at risk from the newly announced bills. We hope to bring a lot of colour and enthusiasm to the event!

Next planning meeting

Monday 26th July, 7pm

Canterbury WEA, 59 Gloucester St

Workers rights: Auckland university meeting July 28

Time: July 28, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Lecture Theatre B28, Library Basement, University of Auckland

The National Party government has announced major attacks on workers rights and on Unions ability to represent them.

This coming Wednesday, there will be a major rally in Auckland University to launch a campaign of resistance against these attacks. Matt McCarten, General Secretary of Unite, will be joined by Sue Bradford, fighter for the rights of the unemployed, Karl Andersen, Assistant General Secretary of the NDU, and Chris Trotter, political commentator and author of No Left Turn.

The rally will bring together union delegates and members, Left wing activists and students, and will plan a series of direct action responses to the bosses and the Government.

This is the Employment Contracts Act of our Generation.
We won't be defeated.

hosted by Unite on Campus (Auckland)
http://www.unite.org.nz/nat_conf_protest

Meeting: GAZA Can we break the prison walls?

PUBLIC MEETING

Keynote speaker:
Grant Morgan
Co-organiser of Kia Ora Gaza

7.30pm on Thursday 29 July
Socialist Centre, 86 Princes St, Onehunga, Auckland

Your host:
Eco-Socialist Discussion Group

Protest this Sunday – stop National’s attacks on workers

from Facebook page

Date: Sunday, July 18, 2010
Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Sky City Hotel, Auckland CBD

The National Party will announce drastic attacks on workers rights, seeking to curtail Unions rights to Bargain, access greenfield sites, access existing sites, slash education and training leave, and cut back on Holidays.

Unions will vigourously resist these attacks from the outset. If National are declaring war on workers, they should prepare for Resistance.

The Battle starts this Sunday. 10am. Sky City Hotel.

The National Party Conference is happening there this weekend.

The official announcement on the attacks will be made at 11am.

We aim to disrupt this session.

Stand up for Workers Rights.

Kia Ora Gaza

KIWI AID TO GAZA


Gaza’s 1.5 million people are imprisoned by the state of Israel in a giant concentration camp. The Israeli military enforces a blockade of essential supplies. There is terrible suffering, especially among the children. The citizens of Gaza face collective punishment, which is illegal under international law.

On 31 May 2010, a Gaza aid flotilla was hijacked on the open sea by Israel’s military. Nine civilian aid workers were shot to death. To break the siege of Gaza, on 12th September mass aid convoys will set off from London by sea and land.

We want to see Kiwi volunteers and aid go with them. Kia Ora Gaza is raising funds to make this possible.

Please give your support.
Write a cheque for ‘Kia Ora Gaza’ and post to:
Kia Ora Gaza, PO Box 59-007, Auckland.

AUCKLAND PUBLIC MEETING

7.30pm on Wednesday 7th July
Fickling Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd, Three Kings

Come along to support Kia Ora Gaza.

Bring your family & friends.


Issued for Kia Ora Gaza by Grant Morgan. Email: grantmorgan@paradise.net.nz

Protest against Israeli massacre of humanitarian aid workers

AUCKLAND: Candelight Vigil: Friday June 4, 5pm to 7pm, US Consulate, Customs St West.
Protest March: This Saturday june 5, Gather 1pm, Aotea Square, march to the US Consulate.

WELLINGTON: protest march Satrday June 5, 12 noon Cuba mall.

CHRISTCHURCH: Wednesday June 2, 4pm Cathedral Square. [Already been, but just to show something was happening.]

DUNEDIN: Freedom March! Saturday, June 5, 12 noon Dunedin Museum Reserve Lawn, then march to Octagon.

NELSON: Peace Group Meeting on Friday 7.30pm at Ren’s house, 140 NileStreet.

20,000 at Bolivia climate conference

 Delegates at the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and The Rights of Mother Earth in Bolivia (Pic: Kris Krüg)

By Suzie Wylie and Jonathan Neale
in Cochabamba, Bolivia
From Socialist Worker UK

Some 20,000 people gathered for a “people’s conference on climate change” in Cochabamba, Bolivia, this week.

The event is historic. The leaders of the world’s major powers decided that they would do nothing about climate change at the UN’s climate talks in Copenhagen last December.

Many environmentalists were enraged. The same leaders who were prepared to bail out the banks were not prepared to save the planet.

There was a danger that the climate movement would collapse in demoralisation.

But Evo Morales, the left wing president of Bolivia, called a global conference of the social movements to continue the fight against climate change.

The CTU’s Alternative Economic Strategy – a way forward for workers?

Bill Rosenberg [pictured], author of the Council of Trade Unions proposed
 Alternative Economic Strategy, will be speaking on the reasons the 
Strategy was written, what it says and its potential as an 
organising and campaigning tool for the union movement.


Also speaking will be Socialist Worker National Chair, Vaughan
Gunson, who will discuss whether the Alternative Economic Strategy 
can be the basis of a broad left campaign against neo-liberalism.



A Socialist Worker Forum



Tuesday April 27, 7pm


at the Socialist Centre

86 Princes Street, Onehunga

For more information, or to organise a lift to the venue, phone Len
: 634 3984.

World People’s Conference on Climate Change starts today

From Without Your Walls

At least 15,000 people from 126 countries are expected to attend the World People’s Conference on Climate Change which has been called by Bolivia as a response to the failure of the recent COP15 climate change negotiations.

As one of the few countries that openly criticised the negotiations in Copenhagen and has refused to sign the Copenhagen Accord, Bolivia has invited governments, organisations and people to take part in finding real solutions to fight climate change.

Auckland event, 3rd May: 
New Zealander Sandy Gauntlett of Global Forests Coalition and the international Climate Justice Now! network will be speaking on what happened at the conference on his return to New Zealand. 
For more details and to confirm your attendance [via facebook] click here.

 
The objectives of the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth are:

1)    To analyze the structural and systemic causes that drive climate change and to propose radical measures to ensure the well-being of all humanity in harmony with nature

2)    To discuss and agree on the project of a Universal Declaration of Mother Earth Rights

3)    To agree on proposals for new commitments to the Kyoto Protocol and projects for a COP Decision under the United Nations Framework for Climate Change that will guide future actions in those countries that are engaged with life during climate change negotiations and in all United Nations scenarios, related to: Climate debt, Climate change migrants-refugees, Emission reductions, Adaptation, Technology transfer, Finance, Forest and Climate Change, Shared Vision, Indigenous, Peoples, and others. These are split into 17 working groups, which will form basis of the final document of the conference.

4)    To work on the organization of the World People’s Referendum on Climate Change

5)    To analyze and develop an action plan to advance the establishment of a Climate Justice Tribunal

6)    To define strategies for  action and mobilization to defend life from Climate Change and to defend the Rights of Mother Earth.







Keep updated and participate:

You can follow what’s going on the following this blog, this blog and social network sites

Watch the conference live

IS CAPITALISM ON A PATH TO COLLAPSE?

Public meetings in Christchurch and Wellington:

Guest speaker 
Grant Morgan
Socialist Worker international secretary (Auckland)

Christchurch

7.30pm Tuesday April 27
WEA 59 Gloucheter Street,

(opposite art gallery) Christchurch

Wellington

7.30pm on Thursday 29 April,
upstairs at Newtown Community Centre,

(Corner Rintoul & Colombo St)

Contact: Grant Brookes  grant_brookes@paradise.net.nz | 021 053 2973

Synopsis

For the first time in capitalism’s 500-year history a perfect storm is beginning to engulf the world system. 



The main elements are system-level crises of profitability, ecology, resources, imperialism and legitimacy. Their concentration and intensification look set to trigger world system collapse within a historically short time period.

Humanity will face a life-and-death struggle as we confront economic chaos, global warming, resource scarcity and imperial breakdown.

Can we survive the chaos, conflict and carnage of looming collapse? Can Earth’s citizens collectively built a decent future in the face of elite counteractions? Yes, says Grant Morgan. 



He resurrects Marx’s analysis of social change to explain the growing intersection of system-level crises which will collapse global capitalism as surely as previous civilisations were brought down by their own perfect storms.



“At a certain stage of development, the material productive forces of society come into conflict with the existing relations of production,” said Marx. “Then begins an era of social revolution.”

An era of social revolution will be triggered by the perfect storm appearing over capitalism’s horizon as it collapses the economic, ecological and imperial foundations of the world system. The need to unite or die will call forth a Global Uniting of the mass of humanity which ushers in a society of solidarity.



Grant will be drawing on, and developing, his 20,000 word essay ‘Beware! The end is nigh!’ Why global capitalism is tipping towards collapse, and how we can act for a decent future.

This essay takes up the entire contents of the 100-page March 2010 issue of UNITY journal.  It can also be read here at UNITYblog.