Socialist Aotearoa

"Eat your pork, drink your wine! Your days are numbered, bourgeois swine!" "What a load of bankers! What a load of bankers! La-la La La- Oi!" Getting stuck in blockade wise ;) "John Key's had his day- It's time to make the Bosses Pay!" thanks to John D for the pictures. See more at www.indymedia.org.nz 30 Anti-Capitalists cut through horrendous rush hour traffic to slap up a boisterous and humourous picket of John Key's Job summit today. There were some angry exchanges between the protesters and Rodney Hide, some of NZ's 200 top CEOs and leading bankers, whilst John Key was spirited away without running the red flagged gauntlet. The crisis has seen the emergence of a new movement in countries such as Ireland, Iceland and France. New Zealand is not immune from the effects of a Global crisis, and as 70,000 jobs are lost this year, Socialist Aotearoa and other anti-capitalists will be urging confrontation, not co-operation with this 200 s

On Saturday Unite Union is presenting the "Rat Patrol" to help fight unfair sackings to the public in Aotea Square at 12 noon. Dozens of people have volunteered to join an on-call squad to protest against employers who sack people unfairly. They will be marching A new law comes into force on Monday which allows workers in small businesses to be sacked for any reason, or no reason at all, in their first 90 days of employment. The law has been dubbed the 90-day fire at will law by unions. Unite National Director Mike Treen says “The Rat Patrol volunteers are telling employers that if the government takes away peoples' right to legally challenge an unfair dismissal then we have to take action outside the framework of the courts.” The Rat Patrol is named in reference to a 6metre high inflatable rat the Unite Union uses when picketing employers’ premises with a sign around its neck saying "Don't be a rat: Give workers a fair deal”. “We want as many volunteers as possi

Powerful Pictures and Audio also HERE This weekend saw 120,000 workers march through the streets of Dublin calling for the withdrawal of the Fianna Fail governments 'pension levy'. The levy means that a public sector worker who earns 35,000 euro a year will lose 50 euro a week from their pay packet, so a couple who both work in the public sector are losing 400 euro a month, which is the cost of a mortgage and is an amount that most just cannot afford to pay. This levy comes with a string of other vicious cuts against both private and public workers, the young, old and the unemployed. The right wing parties spouting pathetic justifications to, unsuccessfully, convince the irish working class to pay for the crisis. They have cut aid to children from Ireland's 'Traveller' community to assist them in school, they have cut aid to all children once they hit 5 years of age, creches, community drugs schemes, teachers and they want to slash our bus routes. But people have r

New Zealand is heading towards a major slump in employment as the effects of the Global Crisis begin to take hold. 70,000 jobs are expected to be lost this year- workers at TVNZ, Irwin Industrial Tools and Fisher and Paykel are already in the front line. John Key's response is to call a Crisis Summit with the leading players in NZ Capitalism. Union leaders have also been invited. Anti capitalists will be gathering outside, however. Socialist Aotearoa blog editor Joe Carolan says- "We don't believe that unions and the bosses have common interests. We believe it is the bosses, bankers and speculators like John Key who have created this mess, both globally and domestically. As the crisis in capitalism deepens in countries such as Iceland, Ireland and France, we have seen a powerful people's movement take to the streets and push the unions to launch mass strikes to defend workers conditions" "We're warning the Business Class of New Zealand that if t

From March '09 workers in small businesses will be able to be sacked for any reason, or no reason at all, in their first 90 days of employment. The RAT PATROL has been launched by unions and community groups to make sure no worker get unfairly dismissed under the new law. Join the RAT Patrol tour of Auckland Malls and Markets: Meet: Saturday, February 28, 12 noon, Aotea Square, CBD Register as a RAT PATROL member to join the emergency solidarity pickets against unfair sackings. Our goal is to have several hundred people registered as willing and able to respond to appeals for help on short notice. Register with your email address and send us your mobile number for text messages. Nicola writes- We had a fun but wet day out with the RAT PATROL at Mangere Market on Saturday. This weekend there are a few activities planned, but it's essential that you let us know which ones you will come to in advance, so please contact us at wewontpayforyourcrisis@gmail.com Saturday 21 Feb - O

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> Guest Commentary: Sina Brown-Davis, Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara The National/Maori party honeymoon was smashed on Waitangi Day. The brave actions of two young warriors definitely dispelled the pro government propaganda that the National and Maori Party were desperately trying to cement on Waitangi Day. Mrs Harawira’s reaction is complete hypocrisy. Each generation has a right to oppose their oppression. Just because some are sitting at the table with or holding onto the arm of the oppressor that gives them no right to crush dissent when it doesn't suit their own political purposes. Whether our Maori leader’s or Maori elite like to admit it or not there is a groundswell of anger and disappointment that our grassroots have been sold out, again, and wait to get kicked in their teeth by their own. When you add up the combined impacts of the “90 Day fire law”, the changes to the RMA, changes to bail laws, the privatisation of welfare, prisons, water and the ongoing impacts rec

A Valentine for Palestine Practical Solidarity with the People of Gaza Host: Socialist Aotearoa Type: Music/Arts - Concert Start Time: 14 February 2009 at 20:00 End Time: 15 February 2009 at 02:00 Location: Tom Fordes Irish Bar and Political Museum Street: 122 Anzac Avenue Town/City: Auckland, New Zealand View Map Google MapQuest Microsoft Yahoo Contact Info Phone: 0211861450 Email: solidarityjoe@yahoo.com Description A night of music, poetry, art and dance to raise money for the people of Gaza.

Socialist Aotearoa editor Joe Carolan talked to Nirupa George, the Media Liaison officer for the Tamil Youth Organisation New Zealand Nirupa, when did you first become an activist for the Tamil cause? I would say I really became involved after I visited Sri Lanka in 2003- my extended family still live there- I never really had a chance to get to know my extended family due to limited contact due to the war, so really my motivation is not because I have family there but because all Tamils are my kith and kin. Is there a big Tamil community here in NZ? There is a relatively large community- in total, over 5000 in NZ, and of that 3000 in Auckland. How do you see yourself politically? Politically, I do not lean right, I am left wing and I support any oppressed people. How did the present conflict in Sri Lanka begin? The conflict began, in essence with the divide and rule policy of the British colonialist that built up a racial divide between the two races, Tamil and Sinhalese