No love for the workers
NO QUARTER FROM NATIONAL
 "The government throwing 25 cents to minimum wage workers is a cheap shot" said Campaign for a Living Wage organiser Joe Carolan.
This is barely 2% of nothing, and will be well below real inflation when his government raises GST in the budget."
"Low paid workers are sick of being insulted by millionaires like John Key. We'll be initiating for action on the back of this slap on the face, and there'll be nationwide protests outside National Party MPs offices on Saturday Feb 13th.
"What workers need is a living wage- we've been pushing for $15 an hour now, and for the minimum wage to be set at 66% of the median wage. Tens of thousands of people have signed our petition for a Citizens Initiated Referendum, but John Key has infuriated the half million workers earning less than 600 bucks with this derisory pittance".
Take Action!
The National Government have shown their contempt for low paid workers in New Zealand, by throwing 25 cents to those on the minimum wage. Half a million workers in NZ earn less than $15 an hour, and people simply can't make ends meet on such low pay.
The day before Valentine's Day, join your fellow workers in nationwide pickets of your local National Party MPs offices.
They have shown that they have no love for the workers - there is no quarter from National!
Pickets organised so far in:
Auckland, Hamilton, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Invercargill, Whangerai, Rotorua
Invercargill kicked off - New group formed
25 local Green, Labour and union members met at lunchtime to voice their dismay over the minimum wage rise of 25 cents, saying that it was not a living wage for anybody, and that the National government were not looking after the very people who needed it most.
The group chanted and gathered petition signatures through the CBD, and rallied outside local National MP Eric Roy’s office, where Greens’ chairperson Rachael Goldsmith, Greens’ spokesperson Dave Kennedy, former Labour MP and current chairperson Lesley Soper, as well as UNITE spokespeople from Dunedin spoke.
After the speeches were finished, MP Eric Roy was given a chance to speak. He immediately attacked the protesters claims, which was to be expected, but once the media had left, he made some comments which the organisers of the protest found to be outrageous and offensive.
He said that he had a business that employed 12 people and that their minimum wage was $20 per hour. He said he would never employ youth, because youth wanted too much money, but had no skills to offer. He went on to say that businesses employing young people would be wasting their money. When questioned on this, he excused himself and went inside his office, leaving protesters disgruntled and angry at such blatant discrimination against youth.
Txt Joe for details of the other protests on 029 44 55 702
Spread the word!
Invite all your facebook friends. Details of your local protest will be updated here. If there isn’t a local protest where you live - organise one and tell us!
 The next stage -
O WEEK OFFENSIVE!
The Campaign for a Living Wage will be shifting emphasis from the Summer’s big festival circuit and hitting the campuses hard for O week and the month of March- we’re setting up Unite Clubs to organise working students and those who support trade unions and the Living Wage campaign. We’ll be setting these clubs up in University of Auckland, AUT, MIT, University of Waikato, Victoria University, Otago and many other campuses. If you are a student and want to help set up a Unite Club during O Week- contact Joe at 029 44 55 702, joseph@unite.org.nz
Suggestions welcome!
Our first drive will be at Massey Albany - the whole week starting from Monday Feb 22nd. Check out the details here.
LIVING WAGE IN THE MEDIA
Matt McCarten in the NZ Herald
Government does less than minimum for workers.
Joe, top story on TV3 News
Minimum Wage Increase a slap in the Face.
GUERRILLA NEWS
Interview on why a Living Wage Campaign?.
Pictures of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Protest
Campaign for a Living Wage at Dead Prez!
Dead Prez endorse the Living Wage Campaign at our stall outsidethe Zen Bar gig, and thank Unite activists for their dedication to the poorest workers J
Last weeks results
Week Ending 24/01/2010
Bernie and Jared - Hamilton/Taupo/Rotorua: 675
Incoming Mail: 81
Queen Street - Akld CBD: 150
Domain - Jazz In the Park - Akld: 400
Coyle Park - Pt Chev Akld: 530
Raggamuffin - Rotorua: 900
Unite - Wgtn: 950
Dead Prez: 80
Unite - Chch: 230
Anton deBruyn: 10
Kelly Thurston: 20
Mr M Forrest: 14
NDU (Warehouse - Motueka): 20
Asomaliu & Nila (Amourguard): 30
Levi Joule (Tairua): 37
Bernie Hornfeck - Rotorua: 250
ISO - Dunedin: 680
TOTAL: 5,057
Plus over 2,000 at the Nga Puhi Festival and 850 at ACDC
New Campaign URLs
http://www.unite.org.nz/livingwage
http://www.unite.org.nz/working_class_hero
http://www.unite.org.nz/livingwage_subscribe
http://www.unite.org.nz/livingwage_news
and our facebook group is now closing in on 2,700 members! This makes us one of the biggest active campaigns on FB in New Zealand. There’s a lot of debate, pictures and video going up here- invite all your workmates and friends to join here.
See you next week
Solidarity
Joe
Campaigns Officer,
Campaign for a Living Wage
Phone/text: 029 44 55 702 or email:joseph@unite.org.nz |
 Thousands of people will be out marking Waitangi day 2mro. The Living Wage campaign will be there with them, organising the anger many low paid workers and their families feel, especially since the national Govt threw 25 cents at us last week.
In Auckland, we'll be with Kora and many other bands at manukau's Waitangi celebrations in Sir Barry Curtis Park, Botany Downs, from 10am till 6pm. If you need a lift, join the convoy leaving UNite in Morningside at 9am. Txt Joe at 029 44 55 702 or 021 186 1450 if u need any more details, or want to hook up with us out there.
In Wellington, the Living Wage crew will be going to the One Love Festival, Waitangi Day, 2010 @ Hataitai Velodrome, Off Ruahine Street, Wellington from 11am on. Txt Omar at 029 4555 789 to join the Wellington posse. We'll be getting thousands of new signatures of support to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour now, and telling everybody to join the nationwide protests outsie National MPs offices for SAt 13th Feb.
Get in touch with the $15 campaign
Send a text to 029 445 5702 or email to sign up as a working class hero.
 Join the campaign on facebook and become Living Wage's friend.
Forward this email to your friends and get them to sign up for the newsletter - just use [FORWARD].
 Follow Unite and the campaign on twitter.
 Put the $15 an hour web banner on your website or blog - click here.
Order a bulk order of badges (30 cents each) and T-shirts ($15 each) from the Unite office - click here.
Download the petition here .
Click here for more campaign information.
Joe wants you!
 Community activist, teacher and Unite union delegate Joe Carolan is leading the $15 an hour campaign full time. He brings a wealth of experience in social justice movements in Ireland and Aotearoa. If you want to be a Working Class Hero then email him here , text 029 44 55 702 or become Living Wage's friend on Facebook.
Contact Unite
Website: www.unite.org.nz
National Office
phone: 0800 2 UNITE
Fax: 09 846 9509
email: support@unite.org.nz
postal address:
PO Box 7175
Wellesley St
Auckland |
