Chris, the AEU has campaign page for workers rights, but it’s just a bunch of pdf’s and links (some broken). If we start blogging stuff that is accurate and that people will read (summaries links to newspaper articles etc), and maybe tagging a pool of resources in del.icio.us we can help each other learn… hey, what-do-you-know, del.icio.us already has the following tags: workersrights, and one bookmark with irreforms. I know what I’ll be reading today :)

Like Addye said, listening to the media (from both sides) it’s hard to know what the actual situation is (for me anyway). So the bottom line for me is, I need to find out myself. Thanks for some pointers Kris… I’ll look for those articles in the SMH and tag them with irreforms, as well as try to evaluate more of what Greg Combet!

Leigh, LOL, it’d be great to take the kids along if the parents were supportive. I reckon we need to be writing and saying stuff that engages people in thinking about the issues – not stuff that lets people often falsely put you in a box of “leftie” or “unionist” etc. I get so turned off when I read something from either side of the argument that makes general statements without linking to references that I can followup… and I’m sure I’m not alone.

Gee, from what you’ve written Leigh, the situation in NZ (low wages, high cost of living) sounds like a great way to stop those without much from building more for themselves…

Also, I moved from Australia to NZ to escape the political climate change happening there. Not knowing much at all about NZ politics gives me an ignorant bliss. But I have quickly come to see – not so much destroyed families and a ruined economy, as Kris describes – I think that sort of social realism is a touch too unreal – its more subtle and sinister. What I’m seeing most clearly though is a very gutted work force, where service and retail is at a shockingly poor quality. And why would we expect it any better? The highest paid in retail is NZ$12 per hour!! Builders go for NZ$25 etc… while the cost of living remains high by comparison. Renting a 3 bedroom is around $270 – $300 per week. So in short, the NZ economy offers low income (especially to blue collar workers) while the cost of living is high. Whether IR did this, I dunno.

Also, I work for a private school (as a cleaner) and they pay $32,000 a year.

As far as the public schools vs. private comment, I’d like to hear him try to convince the populace that everyone should be paying $1000 a term for their children’s education

Do demonstrations actually ever achieve anything?

I’m guessing what they have achieved in the past is to demonstrate that a particular opinion is significant – and that the government should take notice. From Wikipedia article Demonstrations of people:

the opinion is demonstrated to be significant by gathering in a crowd associated with that opinion.

I’m guessing our country’s history is littered with demonstrations that have helped shape the way things are today, but I (probably like you Sim) never studied much history and so I’m a bit naive on the topic. Here’s some interesting info (from Wikipedia, but you can follow the reference to the primary source), Master and Servant act in Australia:

By 1902 the Act had been partially modified to include forfeit of wages if the written or unwritten contract for work was unfulfilled. Absence from place of work was punishable by imprisonment of up to three months with or without hard labour. There were also penalties of up to 10 pounds for anyone who harbours, conceals or re-employs a ‘servant’ (ie. worker) who has deserted or absconded or absented himself from his duty implied in the ‘contract’.

That was in 1902 – just over 100 years ago – hard to believe. I wonder if demonstrations were involved in changes those kind of laws Simm? Anyone?

I guess I don’t know too much about workers reform as it hasn’t really affected me

Worth thinking about how you can engage people with what you’re saying – especially people who will disagree…

Aldona said:

Howard is ruining our ideals and detroying the systems which people in previous generations worked so hard to get.

I’d love to read more about this point… do you have a good link or an article etc. that talks about these ‘ideals’ and ‘systems’ and shows (with references) how they’re being destroyed? Something that someone who’s convinced otherwise might read and engage with? Taa!