Roger Douglas- Evil Emperor
Commentary: Joe Carolan
Old Roger Douglas reminds me of the evil Emperor Palpatine, drunk with power in an Imperial Senate, a figure of hate who rallies a Rebel Alliance which finally overthrows his reign of destruction. Now, this 70 year old crusader is pushing a bill in said Imperial Senate in Wellington to cut the wages of workers under the age of 18, a disgusting piece of ageist discrimination from this Sith septuageneraian that just wouldn't be accepted if these workers were female or brown. Well, by most non-ACT voting, decent working people anyway.
I'd like to thank Roger Douglas for this. Before he shuffles off this mortal coil, he will act as one of the greatest recruiting sergeants for the union movement we will ever have in Aotearoa. Already tonight, dozens of our delegates in the Unite Union, veterans of the SupersizeMyPay.Com war four years ago that smashed Youth Rates in the McDs, KFCs and Starbucks, have contacted Unite HQ and are raring to go.
We will unleash chaos in the stores and schools. There will be walkouts, strikes and sit ins. This was how we smashed Youth Rates in the first place. Thousands of young workers will join fighting unions like Unite to resist Roger Douglas's attacks on their pay and equal rights.
When Sarkozy and the right wing won the elections in France in 2006, they too were drunk with power, and proceeded to attack the rights of young workers. For three months, youth made the Universities, schools, workplaces and streets of France ungovernable.
IN the end, it didn't matter how many MPs voted for his bill- it just couldn't work in reality.
There's a whiff of Paris about Auckland tonight. This Emperor has no clothes. The workers will STRIKE back .
Comments
It seems you would rather have high levels of young people unemployed - only being paid $3-$4 an hour on the independent youth benefit or the unemployment benefit, then working for maybe $10 an hour.
If douglas/act were in any way responsive to debate and compromise (i.e. democracy) I would agree with Melissa.
The fact is that they are determined to drive home their dysfunctional 19th century agenda with no recognition of differing perspectives (such as those of, say, the people who aren't stupid selfish @#$$%@$).
I say stuff them. Funny article.
Have you considered however, employers being forced to pay higher wages will expect more from staff, thus people with less qualifications or even references or skills will be rejected by employers because of how it will hurt their wallet.
Lower income, more workers