Socialist Aotearoa

31 years after his murder, the London Metropolitan Police Force admits it's murder of Blair Peach. Joe Carolan now argues- it's time for the murdering coppers of the SPG to pay for their crime. Listen to the Bfm interview HERE

Luke Stobart In recent years Venezuela has been the centre of attention for much of the international left, since mass mobilisations defeated a military coup and oil industry lockout, and left wing President Hugo Chávez famously launched his plan to create “socialism in the 21st century”. However, previous analyses in this journal have shown the revolution is at a key junction, with increased disenchantment in the population due to corruption, bureaucratisation and the slow pace of change which has reopened the door to victory for the right wing opposition in referendums and regional elections. These reverses have led to a far-ranging and important debate among those who identify with the leftward process in Venezuela. While recently living and working in Venezuela, I interviewed some respected revolutionaries to discover their visions of the achievements and contradictions of the Bolivarian revolution and the tasks ahead for revolutionaries. 1 Gonzalo Gómez i

Jonathan Neale The global economic crisis of the last two years has transformed the nature of climate politics in two ways. The turning point was Copenhagen. First, the economic crisis has changed the nature of climate politics at the top. From 2005 to 2008 the most influential position on climate among world leaders was that greenhouse gas emissions must be slowly reduced by 60 to 80 percent over the next 40 years. This was to be achieved within the limits of the “free market”. With the economic crisis the pressure of competition between the different corporations and national blocks of capital became severe. The dominant position at the top became that in the next decade the different blocks of capital could not afford the cost of beginning those reductions. The result in Copenhagen was that the US, assisted by China, effectively wrecked the process of international negotiation towards slow but deep cuts in emissions. But something else has happened as well. T

Revolution is back in the news.In Thailand heavily armed cops are shown retreating under a hail of missiles being thrown by demonstrators. Meanwhile in Kyrgyzstan crowds commandeer tanks to help bring down a corrupt regime that has presided over misery. A new government, led by people associated with the revolution, is now in charge. In both countries thousands have taken to the streets in an expression of popular will against corrupt, dictatorial elites. Protests of this type are often labelled as “people power” – recognition that they involve people of all classes and many political ideas. And, if the revolt is so serious that it topples the existing order, it has become a “democratic revolution” – a means by which ordinary people can reassert their right to elected government and the rule of law. Every socialist is in favour of basic democratic rights. After all, they provide us with the space to agitate and organise. But do recent experiences in countries like U

Each month Socialist Aotearoa publishes an AntiCapitalist bulletin. Here is the April 2010 leaflet for you to download, print and distribute. Download it HERE

Hollywood Bakery largely employs Chinese workers. There have been complaints about low pay, bullying and exploitation. Some workers report they have not had proper holiday pay, sick pay or secure hours. We want to send this company a message. Respect your workers- pay them what they are worth. Any incidents where a worker was not properly paid for hours done will be investigated and pursued. You will be liable for backpay for all holidays and hours not properly paid for. Bullying of workers is unacceptable. Workers are entitled to proper procedures and representation. We will protest this Saturday at 1pm at Hollywood Bakery Atrium on Elliot Foodcourt, F1, Elliot ST, City then move to Hollywood Bakery, 54 High St and Hollywood Bakery, 38 Wyndham St Called by the NZ Chinese Workers Association Supported by Socialist Aotearoa and the Unite Union Facebook event HERE

Search and Surveillance Bill a Grave Threat to Democratic Rights Dougal McNeill, Socialist Aotearoa (Wellington) Powers of search extended for a range of government bodies, from the police to WINZ. Assaults on core democratic rights like the right to silence. Extending police powers around ‘organised crime’ (which can mean an “association of three or more persons”) and powers into the future to force us to cough up documents and computer files we have or may have in the future. These are just some of a range of chilling provisions included in the Search and Surveillance Bill, an anti-democratic piece of legislation supported by the whole of the political establishment. Labour set this attack on our freedoms in motion, National’s continuing it and, with the honourable exception of the Greens, no parliamentary party has opposed its erosion of democratic rights. The October 15 so-called ‘terror’ raids show us what police will do with their existing powers

From 1pm to 2pm on Friday 9th April workers at JB Hi-fi in Wellington will be taking strike action. We’ll be picketing the store at the corner of Willis Street and Willeston Street. We need your help. In this country when low paid workers unionise and ask their corporate bosses for a modest wage increase and get turned down we don’t have many options. Either we wait a year or two for the bosses to flick them some crumbs or we decide to take action. When a group of workers takes action, it’s important that other workers stand with them in solidarity. It’s the only way we’ll win. This Friday’s action is only the beginning but it’ll be the first ever strike at a JB Hi-Fi store. So we’d love to see you on the picket lines with us. Most JB Hi-Fi workers are paid 75 cents above the minimum wage. Australian electronic retail giant JB Hi-Fi’s net profit after tax is expected to be A$117 million to A$120 million this year. JB Hi-Fi has told employees in New Zealand they sho

photos: thanks to Paul Rees Living Wage campaigners, low paid workers and socialists in a flying picket of Queen Street's lowest paying multinationals, on the April Fool's day John Key's government throws 25 cents off the table to 100,000 on the breadline.

A shocking case of persecution and exploitation of a CHinese worker has come to light recently in Auckland. Socialist Aotearoa, Unite Union and the Chinese Workers Association will be protesting outside their outlets next Friday. More to come...