THE UNIONIST: Hollow Men, ACC, Climate change, migration

The Unionist this week reports on the 'Hollow Men' film about to screen around New Zealand, a push for greater cover for injured workers, a call for business to play ball over climate change, and the debate on migration prompted by fish processing redundancies in Nelson.

Hollow Men - the film

Nicky Hager's book "The Hollow Men" is now a film, screening as part of this year's New Zealand International Film Festivals.

Hager's book, published in 2006, was based on a series of leaked emails and documented the dynamics inside the National Party's leadership change and 2005 election campaign.  Then National leader Don Brash resigned shortly after the book was published. Scoop media said at the time that the book was the most engaging of Hager's books to date, showing "the dark and sometimes ugly-side of politics...the Hollow Men exposes the undergarments of political strategy setting, implementation and election campaigning."

Nicky Hager told The Unionist this afternoon that viewers would see new material in the film.

“For someone who has read the book they will get it brought to life in pictures, and they will get some new information which I dug out for the film.”

“I think that the book is a once-off rare opportunity for people to see how politics really works, and the film will take this to thousands more people, which makes it hugely valuable,” he said.

NZPA reported today that the idea of the film had been with director Alister Barry for some time, and he had wanted to take a look at political tactics and spin-doctoring. After Dr Brash's Orewa speech in January 2004 Barry decided to look at National, and had started his research when Hager's book was published.

"Suddenly the research side of things was taken care of," Barry said.

The book covered the role the private insurance industry played in National's policy of privatising ACC, further highlighted in a memo from the Insurance Council which became public (available here).  The CTU said last year it shouldn’t be possible for Australian insurance companies to secretly pay million dollar donations to a New Zealand political party with the objective of securing privatisation of ACC for their private profit.  (See also ACC story, below). 

Last year the CTU hosted two successful forums on transparency in election funding; borrowing from the book's name, they were titled: The Hollow Men: Our Democracy or Theirs?

The Wellington meeting attracted 250 people, and a podcast of that event was recorded, featuring the contributions from Nicky Hager, Therese Arseneau from the University of Canterbury's Political Science Dept, and Andrew Geddis from the Law Faculty at the University of Otago.  The podcast and other items and links are on this website: http://union.org.nz/electionfunding

The book was also made into a play last year.  Film times are available here: http://www.nzff.co.nz, and you can visit the film's site here: http://www.thehollowmen.co.nz

Push for greater cover for injured workers

Unions this week pushed for greater cover for injured workers, and called on National to come clean on their plans for the state insurer. 

Changes to ACC law, which were progressing through Parliament this week, would mean ACC cover would be extended to include workers who suffer mental injury from a traumatic workplace incident, not just workers who had physical injuries.

The Rail & Maritime Transport Union said on Tuesday that all political parties should support proposed changes to the ACC scheme to give better support to workers who suffer mental trauma from workplace incidents.  The finance sector union finsec also supported the law change, and said they knew of cases where bank staff have been so mentally traumatised by armed hold ups that they had been simply unable to go back to work in the bank.

The Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union said that the proposed changes were too important to New Zealand workers to play politics on and deserved full support of every MP in the house. 

In 1991 coal miner and EPMU member John Stone was buried alive for 20 hours in the cab of his mining vehicle after the mine he was working in collapsed, and despite suffering ongoing trauma and not being able to continue to work underground after the experience he has not been able to access accident compensation for loss of earnings or to pay for counselling.

He says that although the changes will not be backdated to cover him it will help to repair the mental damage others suffer from traumatic experiences at work.

"You might seem one hundred percent but deep down that experience goes on again and again and you try to get on with life but there's not a lot of support out there for getting it fixed. Hopefully other people who have this sort of thing happen will be able to get the support they need with this change," he said.

The CTU also challenged parties who opposed the law change to front up to workers such as the train driver who appeared before select committee last month, and explain why they wouldn’t support these new provisions.

This week the CTU hosted the launch of a new book (PDF file, 2mb) on the ACC scheme by health and safety lawyer Hazel Armstrong.  Blood on the Coal sets out why the scheme was set up, the benefits it brings to the country and the case against privatisation. The book was launched by ACC Minister Maryan Street.

CTU vice president Richard Wagstaff said that the case to retain ACC as a monopoly provider of workplace accident cover was clear, and called on political parties who support increased “choice” in workplace cover to explain why.

“ACC is a world leader and brings both economic benefits and social benefits to the country, as evidenced in the recent PriceWaterHouseCoopers report on the scheme. The case to retain this core asset is now clear.”

“Last week we asked the National Party to explain their stance on ACC, after reported comments from their spokesperson that they were committed to choice in accident compensation.”

“When National last promoted so-called choice in accident compensation cover it was a disaster. One of the providers, a subsidiary of HIH Insurance, had up to 40 percent of workplace cover, yet HIH went into liquidation with losses of around $1 billion. Fortunately, the Government had by then changed ACC back to public provision".

Business needs more constructive approach to climate change - CTU

The updated Climate Change bill released this week shows that a lot of effort has gone into consultation with stakeholders, the CTU said this week.

"It is time for the business sector to acknowledge the consultation they have had with Government, the recognition of their concerns in the amendments and now take a more constructive approach to the Bill," CTU economist Peter Conway said on Tuesday.

“We all know that New Zealand can do little on its own about climate change, but our exports will be detrimentally affected if we do less than we should and business needs to take this on board,” said Peter Conway. 

“The delay in the phase out of free credits, a provision enabling allocation plans to create a reserve of emission units for new business investment within the cap, strengthening the review process, incorporating the ability to impose an emissions trading obligation on international shipping lines in relation to “domestic” legs of international journeys, and increased allocation of free credits for foresters are all measures which respond to major concerns.”

The focus needed to turn to the impact for those on low incomes, Conway said.

Migration debate missing the point - SFWU

The debate about migrant workers prompted by recent Nelson redundancies is missing the point, the Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota (SFWU) said this week.

The call follows news of Talleys Fisheries and Aotearoa Seafood's application to the New Zealand Immigration Service to employ 100 migrant workers, not long after 323 workers at Sealord found out they were being made redundant.

Neville Donaldson, SFWU Assistant National Secretary said this week that comments from employers that there are not enough New Zealand workers to cover the work currently available were misleading. 
 
"A more accurate description is that there are not enough New Zealand workers prepared to work for minimum wage or close to it." 
  
Its not just New Zealand workers that deserve better, migrant workers do as well, he said.

The Maritime Union agreed, saying that use of temporary labour threatens local employment, and that it was disgraceful that at a time of rising unemployment and surging living costs, employers are being allowed to knock the bottom out of the labour market.

Mr Hanson says the key problem with finding workers was based around the poor wages paid in the local industry.

Weekly Events Calendar

Unions Local - June meeting times

Unions Tauranga
Tues June 3, 1pm (note different date, this month only)
Seafarers Centre, Hull Rd, Mt Maunganui. 
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Unions Wellington, incl AGM
Tuesday June 3, 4-6pm. 
NZCTU Boardroom, Lv 7, Education House, 178 Willis Street
pbolster@anet.co.nz 

Unions Gisborne
Wed June 4, 5.15pm
Trade Union Centre - Cnr Childers Rd and Customhouse Street
Colleen.Ryan@ndu.org.nz 

Unions Auckland
Thur June 5, 4pm (note different date, this month only)
Trades Hall, 147 Gt Nth Rd.
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Unions Manawatu
Friday June 6, 3pm.
PSA House, 41-47 King St, Palmerston North
john.shennan@psa.org.nz 

Unions Canterbury
Tues June 17, 4pm
TUC, 199 Armagh Street, Christchurch
karena.brown@epmu.org.nz

Unions Waikato
Tues June 24, 5.15 pm
Trade Union Centre, 34 Harwood Street, Hamilton.
rob.george@nzei.org.nz  

Unions Northland
Wed June 25, 4pm (note different date, this month only)
TUC, 7 First Ave, Whangarei
garry.parsloe@munz.org.nz

Unions Manawatu
Friday June 27 3pm.
PSA House, 41-47 King St, Palmerston North
john.shennan@psa.org.nz 

Unions Wellington
Tues July 2, 4-6pm.
NZCTU Boardroom, Lv 7, Education House, 178 Willis Street
george.collins@epmu.org.nz

Other Events and Campaigns

NAU MAI HAERE MAI
Nga koutou o te motu
Te Runanga o Nga Kaimahi Maori o Aotearoa in conjunction with friends of Hone Tuwhare, are holding an informal commemoration, where we will celebrate Hone’s life and work.  We have chosen Matariki, often a time of reflection, to commemorate Hone’s life.
Time:  1400 – 1700 hrs
Date:  Saturday 21 June 2008
Place: Auditorium, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, Corner Molesworth & Aitken Streets, Wellington

15 Days in Cuba
Travel, accommodation and food for just $500NZD.
Group discount flight = $3469.
Possibly interested - contact Gillian at the N.D.U.
gillian.magee@ndu.org.nz

CTU Economics Forum
Wednesday 2nd July, 4 pm to 6 pm
PSA House, 6th Floor, 11 Aurora Terrace, Wellington.
The CTU has invited four leading economists to a CTU Economics Forum. The participants are Stephen Toplis, Susan St John, Brian Easton and Peter Harris. Helen Kelly, NZCTU President will chair the forum.Each speaker will address the forum on fiscal and monetary policy issues – covering tax, government spending, benefits, debt, monetary policy – and comment on the state of the economy.There will be time for questions and discussion.  Please advise albertw@nzctu.org.nz if you are able to come. Put ‘CTU Economics Forum 2nd July’ in the subject line.

Inaugural AUT Annual Public Employment Relations Lecture
Speaker: Trevor Mallard
TOPIC: ‘The future outlook for employment relations in New Zealand’
TIME: 3:00-4:00pm, Tuesday 22nd July 2008
VENUE:  AUT Business School, Room 711, 42 Wakefield Street, Auckland
Please RSVP to Serena Gent (serena.gent@aut.ac.nz) by Friday 18th July.

CTU Meetings, Training

Maori Models of Organising - Nga Momo Whakaritenga
6 courses commencing in July across the country. Details will be advised closer to the time, but early enquiries to helent@nzctu.org.nz or 09-303-9018

Workplace Productivity Challenge Workshop
There is no charge to attend the Productivity Challenge which is an EREL-approved course. Financial assistance is available for travel, wage reimbursement (if not on EREL or other leave) and other associated costs. There are places available in the following workshops - Register now for one of these workshops:
- Monday 30 June, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Dunedin
- Friday 11 July, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Mangere East South Auckland
- Tuesday 15 July, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Christchurch
- Friday 18 July, 9 am - 4.30 pm, Wellington Central
Dates for 2008 workshops and Registration forms for these workshops are on the CTU website. If you wish to register interest in a future workshop please tell us your name and location and details of how to contact you. We will cater to demand and arrange something to suit you if you cannot find a location that suits you in our current schedule.
Email Sandy - productivity@nzctu.org.nz.
Check out the WPEP website for more information: http://union.org.nz/workplaceproductivity.html