Socialist Aotearoa

This is the power and potential of the union movement. 111 workers locked out for 10 days but with the CTU leader Helen Kelly and the solidarity of workers around the country swinging in behind them, $21,000 has poured in to their fund in the last 4 days. Socialist Aotearoa have given $111 and will continue to organise fund raising and solidarity with the meat workers until we win the fight. The next step is to shut the plant with mass pickets and use secondary pickets and a boycott of companies that are selling the scab meat, such as McDonald's restaurants. The workers united, will never be defeated. Join the facebook group | Donate: 38-9007-0894028-08 NZCTU

from John Minto- Mana Economic Justice Spokesperson. “Instead of slagging off myself and the occupation movement on national television last night Prime Minister John Key should come to Aotea Square in Auckland to meet the people involved in the movement. “I’m happy to personally accompany Mr Key around the occupation. He would be welcome to come and have a cup of tea and engage in some robust discussion with young New Zealanders and listen to their hopes and fears for this country and the global economy. “The occupations around New Zealand are part of a global movement which is fighting back against the 1% running the world economy for themselves off the backs of the 99%. “On this year’s National Business Review rich list John Key was the 56th richest New Zealander with a wealth estimated at $55 million. “He was among the 150 wealthiest New Zealanders who last year increased their wealth by a staggering $7 billion. And to add insult to injury he would have paid minimal tax on this in

An evening on the struggle for democracy and freedom in the south Pacific. The winds of the Arab spring are blowing in the south Pacific. Since the recent massacre of peaceful activists in Papua and the new wave of repression in Fiji, the need for solidarity and collective struggle in the Pacific to end the colonisation, genocide and police states is evermore pressing. Are revolutions in the Pacific on the cards? How can people involved in unions, the student movement and Occupy Auckland aid the Pacific struggles for liberation? What does tino rangatiratanga mean today? What role can the Mana Movement play in the fight for Pacific democracy? Talks by Nik Naidu, Maire Leadbeater and Tracey Lee. Nik Naidu is the spokesperson for the Coalition for Democracy in Fiji fighting for free and fair elections. Maire Leadbeater from the Indonesia Human Rights Committee has been campaigning for ten years for freedom for the West Papuan people. She played a leading role in the solidarity camp

Only weeks ago I wrote that it is only matter of time before someone gets killed. I thought that after witnessing police on horses charge into the crowd. Tonight Scott Olsen, 24, still remains at Oakland’s Highland Hospital in a critical condition after being hit in the head by a Police projectile. On Tuesday the Oakland Police Department decided to raid the Occupy Oakland movement and evict them from their encampment. Initially the City Council was supportive, read tolerant, of protestors presence. However, the current view of the City of Oakland is that the conditions have become unsafe and people have to be removed. Many were arrested during the morning raid in what was clearly an attempt to break the demonstrators’ resolve and send a message to other occupations around the US. Activists responded by staging a march that evening in a show of defiance. The march ended as riot police showered them with tear gas and stun grenades. In one graphic video of the attacks, demonstrators are

Racism and fascism have no place in Aotearoa. In the UK combating racist groups like the British National Party means confronting them in the streets. On the 22nd of October, an incident occurred at the Wellington occupation, which elucidates several fundamental issues requiring resolution within not only the local movement but also to an extent the global movement as a whole. An individual from the occupation was made aware of a nearby rally in Midland Park by the National Front, an openly fascist, neo-Nazi organization and took it upon himself to approach the neo-Nazis in the interest of inviting them along to a talk he was conducting and welcoming them to the occupation. After a number of concerned individuals expressed their discontent with this idea, a general assembly (GA) was called on the basis that one person from the group did not have the right to invite a whole contingent of people openly hostile to the espoused principles of the Occupy Movement. From the start of the GA, s

John Minto- for the 99%- Tax the 1%! Mana launches it economic policy HERE

Tunes for Palestine - 8pm, Thursday 27 October Come along and enjoy an acoustic concert at Occupied Aotearoa Square to raise awareness and koha for the campaign to end the siege of Palestine. Headlining the gig is Roger Fowler, who will be leading the next Kia Ora Gaza mission. Roger opened for David Rovics in 2009 and has a history mixing music and activism right back to Jumping Sundays Also playing will be Paul Brown, a folk artist from Scotland and passionate about social change. Otis Mace! Otis has opened for Billy Bragg, The Violent Femmes, The Screaming Blue Messiahs, Chris Knox,The Mutton Birds, and the Exponents And Matt Billington, aka Myth of Democracy , the punk folk voice of Ak City. In December 2011, Kia Ora Gaza will join an international aid convoy to Gaza led by UK charity Viva Palestina. The convoy intends to break Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza by linking up with Cairo’s democracy movement and entering the besieged enclave through Egypt’s land gate. This strategy

The meat processing companies of this country are as greedy as the zombie banks that ignited the 2008 crash, that's what the Meat Workers Union are saying, as they fight massive pay cuts at a rural meat plant. The Meat Workers Union are fighting for the survival of their collective agreement down in the CMP Rangitikei meat works near Palmerston North. A lock out has forced many of the union members back to work as the company seeks pay cuts of up to 25% but a hearty core of trade unionists are standing up to the lock out and are picketing the company's plant daily. The majority overseas owned company wants workers to work 5 more hours than the current 35 hour week and get paid less than the current rates. The lock out shows that the post-crisis corporate drive to lower wages and break unions around the country which has resulted in industrial action at dairy factories, universities, call centres and casinos is far from over. This is how the 1% controls and exploits the 99%,

a discussion at Occupy Auckland on Labour Day

"Going from the Camp of Aotea Square to the Tower of the Sky City, where the evil Tory vampire Lords shall assemble to plot their evil campaign." "On Sunday 30th October, Halloween's Een, Together we will shoot NZ's biggest anti capitalist Zombie movie set in a Post Crisis Auckland where minimum wage Zombie workers rise up against the bloodsucking vampire boss class." Facebook event here . Solidarity with Auckland Action Against Poverty's picket of the Nats . Read: Why We Need A Living Wage in Aotearoa

Global Peace and Justice Auckland condemns the death threats and political intimidation which has continued against a South African shack-dweller’s movement leader who spoke at public meetings in New Zealand throughout September and October. Since that speaking tour S’bu Zikode has faced further threats on his life, again from a senior ANC official. Soon after his return to South Africa Mr. Zikode, along with 13 others, represented the shackdwellers movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) at a meeting with the new Durban Mayor. This was seen by the movement of the poor as a step towards a meaningful engagement with local government. However, at this meeting Mr. Zikode faced threats of harm and intimidation from Nigel Gumede, ANC’s Chairperson of the Housing and Infrastructure Portfolio Committee. Amongst his threats Gumede said that the ANC is at war with AbM and that he has to go to the bushes for Zikode. In Zulu idiom this is a clear threat – a threat of attack, a threat of ambush.

Can we organise the biggest bank job in human history? Didn't you always dream of doing over a bank or two? What are you waiting for? On October 29th be part of the world's biggest bank job.

Join the Global March for a #RobinHood tax on Saturday 29th October at 3pm in Aotea Square. Facebook details here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=294954730534183

The occupation of Auckland's Aotea Square is now at day five and is growing stronger with every passing day. As the City Council threatens eviction, is this the new Parihaka ? Despite Spring storms there are more tents going up in Tamaki Makaurau as the global Occupy movement lifts the spirits of hundreds of millions around the world. The protests have reframed the debate of the economic crisis around the greed of the 1% and derailed the political agenda of the 1% to push through austerity policies in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis. The actions tens of thousands of people around the world occupying and defending protest camps against the 1% and the convergences of millions on October 15 around the world is shaking the ideological foundations of neo-liberal capitalism. The 1% are on the back foot, being forced to defend ideas that the radical left has for decades been attacking. Just take a look at some of the recent media coverage of the Occupy Auckland movement: Prime Minis

Emir Hodzic has uploaded a bunch of videos from Saturday's action of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Times Square, NYC on October 15.

In his latest report and photos from NYC, Aucklander Emir Hodzic describes the weekend's events. Up to now the world was watching Occupy Wall Street, this weekend the world joined in. What started as a small group of protestors occupying Wall St in protest to corporate greed and Wall Street’s grip on the White House is now a global movement. From day one OWS message to the world had been “we’re in this together.” As more cities in the US are seeing similar occupations, cities across the globe are also joining in, in what is turning out to be a truly international plight for justice. In past few days OWS has moved from the brink of eviction from Zuccotti Park to shutting down Times Square. On the eve of the Global Day of Action, inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, New York mayor Mike Bloomberg decided to “clean up” Zuccotti Park. Owners of Zuccotti Park, Brookfield Properties, said they were worried about the sanitation, and wanted to send in the cleaners. Plan was to evict

Download the PDF for the Occupied New Zealand Herald .

Police are coming to evict us from the Liberty Plaza tonight - We don't know what's going to happen. I know you guys are gathering in Auckland this Saturday, and that makes me very proud. Since I don't know if I am going to be in jail at that time (who knows how this crackdown is going to end), I would like to send a brief message to all my friends and comrades in Auckland. In case you get to the mic or megafone or something, maybe read these words bellow? "I just want to remind you all that you should be very proud of yourselves for being here. We have been lied to, we have been manipulated and we have been patient. The time has come for us to stand together for what is right. We don't want big business telling us how to live, we don't want big business buying our politicians & we don't want big business deciding on political discourse. We are all in this together. From Athens to New York, from New York to Auckland. Stay strong, stand together and st

‎"30 to 40 students occupying the Victoria University of Wellington skywalk over Kelburn Parade against cuts to International Relations department and cuts to access courses. Cops have just shown up. Students plan to resist non-violently." Follow live here .

You can only gamble for so long before your luck runs out. When it does you can lose everything. Whole economies wiped out, eco-systems destroyed, or countries ruined. The Rena catastrophe is getting worse by the hour and PM John Key, once considered untouchable by the media is now under considerable criticism for his handling of this crisis. The casino capitalist turned Prime Minister has now ruined the Bay of Plenty because of his gamble on the odds of the weather getting worse. John Key had five days of good weather to get the oil of the Rena with barges that were on offer to Maritime New Zealand: It emerged yesterday that on the day the Rena struck the reef, Maritime NZ declined an offer of two inflatable barges which could pump up to 100 tonnes of oil at a time. The offer was made by Ronald Winstone, of Lancer Industries, who said the two barges would have easily emptied the ship of toxic oil in the four days of clear weather after the Rena ran aground. "It would have taken

The members of the Maritime Union of New Zealand have a long, proud history of being the staunchest fighters for the working-class. In every major labour struggle in New Zealand's history they have shown tenacity and solidarity that inspires workers around the country. They have played crucial roles in a number of political fights in New Zealand history, using their strategic location and collective strength to stop nuclear ship visits, against whaling, show solidarity with the people of East Timor and help win pay parity for women. In the 1970s and 1980s the watersiders would take strike action or donate a days pay to protest campaigns against Apartheid or the Vietnam War. They were the most committed fighters for the global working class, against imperialism and ecological destruction. In recent years the Maritime Union has been campaigning against lax controls on Flag of Convenience vessels like the MSC's Liberia flagged, Rena, operating on New Zealand's coasts. The t

"Stay strong. Stay peaceful. We're all in this together. I am enthralled that there are so many others around the globe in solidarity with us and I want them to also know how incredibly appreciative of their efforts we all are.” As I was eating a slice of pizza today, provided by donations to Occupy Wall Street, I couldn’t help but notice how different Liberty Plaza looks in comparison to two weeks a go. Numbers started to grow rapidly since Wednesday, when critics and skeptics who dismissed the movement as a bunch of unemployed hippies were silenced by up to 20,000 citizens marching through downtown Manhattan. Occupy Wall Street movement outgrew Liberty Plaza, there are talks of relocation, and today people are marching to Washington Square. Prior to the past Wednesday’s march I navigated my way through overflowing park, bouncing off people left right and center, occasionally entering someone’s conversation bubble and exiting again as the current takes me away. Some of the ex