With the Transpacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in its death throes, it is time to think about what a good alternative – and what people-friendly globalisation – would look like. At the heart of public concerns, whether it is about the impact of these agreements on medicine prices, public health, labour rights, the environment, privacy, the… Read more »
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Looking ahead for the year is always educated guesswork, but this year it is more guesswork than educated. That’s because of some very big unknowns: in particular Trump and Brexit. At home we have had economic growth but it has been weak per person and per hour showing falling productivity which does not bode well… Read more »
Read more... We most often think about inequality in terms of income or wealth, but what if some people also experience the cost of living differently? What if the costs that one household faces go up more quickly than the costs of another household? That could add to – or subtract from – income inequality. Until now… Read more »
Read more... In August, the Centre for Labour, Employment and Work (CLEW) at Victoria University released their annual analysis of collective employment agreements (CEAs). It shows again that people who are part of a collective get better pay rises: the union pay premium. For the year to June 2016 CLEW finds that on average wages in collectives… Read more »
Read more...Some of our most important labour statistics such as on unemployment are measured by Statistics New Zealand in a three-monthly survey of 16,000 households, the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS). A review of the HLFS took effect from June. Among other things the changes lowered the measured unemployment rate from 5.7 percent to 5.2 percent… Read more »
Read more...You may have noticed there was no July Bulletin. I was in Europe, mainly on holiday, but also talking to experts on collective bargaining in five countries. Here is some of what I learned. The benefits of collective bargaining (CB) include ensuring wage growth does not fall behind productivity growth. It can also encourage productivity… Read more »
Read more...The Government is in denial over the failure of the 90-day trials. New research commissioned by Treasury found that it did not increase employment or help disadvantaged workers. The Government now denies those were its objectives. Its professed commitment to evidence is selective and doesn’t apply when employers’ interests are at stake. A Cabinet paper… Read more »
Read more...The Budget wasn’t boring – it was a failure of a Government’s responsibility to New Zealanders. Its focus was on balancing the books and reducing debt. That is not what Governments are elected for: it is a means to an end, not an end in itself, and there are many ways to manage the government’s… Read more »
Read more...The Government’s Budget for 2016 is on 26 May. What’s likely to be in it, and what should be? The ‘Operating Allowance’ for new operational spending will again be just $1 billion. Usually $300-400 million is allowed for Health, though more is clearly necessary. The Government will want to make some big announcements about the… Read more »
Read more...On 4 April, the workplace health and safety legislation comes into force. It contains many significant steps for the better. But we were very disappointed that the right of working people to participate in protecting and improving their own health and safety was weakened in many ways. One way was to allow employers with fewer… Read more »
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