New Zealand

New Zealand McDonald's workers escalate campaign

1300 McDonald's workers, members of the Unite union, are escalating their campaign in the wake of yesterdays conference of McDonald's bosses refusing to lift pay rates or offer real security of hours.

The world's biggest fast food corporation, McDonald's, is facing a summer of strikes, pickets and a boycott as 1300 union members escalate their campaign in the wake of yesterdays conference of McDonald's bosses refusing to lift pay rates or offer the same security of hours that Restaurant Brands union members get.

Low-paid workers strike and protest at multiple stores

Strike at Hamilton, New Zealand, McDonald's in October '08

In Auckland and Hamilton low-paid workers at McDonald's and the Farmers department store are striking and protesting for better pay and working conditions.

The strikes started on September 19th with workers working out of Otara McDonald's, to be accompanied on the picket line by a giant inflatable rat. October 3 saw staff at six different McDonald's walk out, five in Auckland and one in Hamilton.

New Zealand: Over 300 Wellington bus drivers locked out

Over 300 Go Wellington bus drivers and workshop workers who took industrial action to protest $12.72 poverty wages will be locked out from today unless they accept the companies offer.

Lockout Notice and Union media release | Workers Party: Background to Wellington Bus Lockout

Indymedia Exclusive: The company is accusing Wellington Tramways Union President Nick Kelly of stealing a bus and taking it to a union stopwork meeting.

Australia: Journalists to strike against job cuts

After the announcement that 550 jobs would be cut by Fairfax Media in Australia and New Zealand on August 26th, journalists at The Age (Melbourne, Australia) and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers have decided to go on strike until Monday.

A Fairfax spokeswoman announced that both papers would come out on Friday, but refused to comment on whether weekend papers would be affected.

New Zealand: Brackenridge Estate strike - day two

Care workers for intellectually disabled adults are on strike at the state run Brackenridge Estate facility in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The second day of the strike at Brackenridge Estate, a Ministry Of Health run complex for the care of intellectually disabled adults, saw around 40 workers and their supporters on the picket lines, under shade from the 30 degree plus heat. Friday, the first day of the 48 hour strike, saw around 100 people on the lines.

New Zealand: Maritime workers take fight to gates of Port of Napier

Over 100 workers gathered outside the gates of the Port of Napier on Saturday morning to protest the loss of secure jobs.

Mediation between the Maritime Union and Port Company is taking place currently, in an effort to stop moves by the Port of Napier to contract out stevedoring work which threatens 25 permanent and 60 casual jobs, with workers to be thrown on the scrap heap just before Christmas.

A Peoples’ History of Auckland- From the general strike to the ADB summit: 1912-1995

A series of snapshots into radical undercurrents and outbreaks of people power in Auckland, New Zealand.

A Peoples’ History of Auckland- From the general strike to the ADB summit. 1912-1995
IWW, 1912

New Zealand: 800 Hospital cleaners locked out after strike

Locked out workers at Middlemore Hospital

Around 800 workers contracted to Spotless Services Ltd have been locked out of their kitchen, orderly and cleaning jobs today at 13 public hospitals across New Zealand after they attempted to start industrial action.

The action involved striking for 55 minutes of every hour, 24 hours a day in a struggle for better wages and conditions.

New Zealand: International solidarity as miners launch indefinite strike

Australian miners refused to cross a picket line yesterday at the Spring Creek coal mine as indefinite industrial action there entered its fourth day.

About 140 Reefton and Dunollie miners were due to meet in Runanga at 1pm to decide their next step.

In an escalation of previous action, the Spring Creek miners walked off the job on Friday morning.

Coal miners across Aotearoa strike after negotiations break down

800 coal miners with the EPMU have been engaged in industrial action since Monday June 25th after negotiations in their multi-employer pay agreement (meca) broke down earlier this month.

The miners are seeking a 5 - 5.5% pay increase, while Solid Energy (which directly employs 1/3 of the miners and the rest indirectly via contractors) has refused to go higher than 4%.