Organising Together

Unite Waitemata Branch is a democratic active branch where members help one another.
We go to employers collectively to apply for work, We accompany each other to WINZ appointments . We have a Benefit Fact File for anyone needing information about their entitlements. We help one another with childcare at meetings when we can.
We take part in campaigns in support of worker's and beneficiaries rights-including leafletting, and pickets.

For further information contact the Secretary 8369104

Problems with WINZ? Share you Stories!

Are you having problems with WINZ , your school, or your employer?
Can't make ends meet ?
Benefit , pension, student allowance, or wage far too low?
Not getting the benefit you are entitled to?
Told to get a loan ?
Paying secondary tax, higher taxes, high benefit rebates?
Losing your home?
Increasing Stress?
Being forced to apply for work- even if you have a disability, are sick, are parenting,
or there is no work available?
Family troubles?
Long waits to see a case officer?
You are not alone!
Let's Share our Stories!
Together we can do something about it!
PLEASE CLICK THE COMMENTS BUTTON TO SHARE YOUR STORY NOW!

RAT PATROL LAUNCH 12 NOON AOTEA SQUARE SAT FEB 28

On Saturday Unite Union is presenting the "Rat Patrol" to help fight unfair sackings to the public in Aotea Square at 12 noon. Dozens of people have volunteered to join an on-call squad to protest against employers who sack people unfairly. They will be marching.
A new law comes into force on Monday which allows workers in smallbusinesses to be sacked for any reason, or no reason at all, in theirfirst 90 days of employment.
The law has been dubbed the 90-day fire at will law by unions.
Unite National Director Mike Treen says “The Rat Patrol volunteers are telling employers that if the government takes away peoples' right to legally challenge an unfair dismissal then we have to take action outside the framework of the courts.”
The Rat Patrol is named in reference to a 6metre high inflatable rat the Unite Union uses when picketing employers’ premises with a sign aroundits neck saying "Don't be a rat: Give workers a fair deal”.
“We want as many volunteers as possible to join the Rat Patrol by registering our website www.unite.org.nz “ said Mike Treen.
“Our goal is to have several hundred people registered as willing and able to respond to appeals for help on short notice. There is loads of anger in the community about the new law, and people love the idea of bringing the giant inflatable rat to shame their own rat bosses.”

From: "We Won't Pay For Your Crisis" an organised fightback against attacks upon the working class during this capitalist crisis.

For more information about the Rat patrol and "We Won't Pay For Your Crisis" meeting times contact Unite Waitemata Branch Secretary Keith tel: 8340604
email: keithhend@gmail.com

Posted by the President

Join Us!

Fees for Beneficiaries are $1 per week. Fees for others are normally $2 per week.
Download the form, fill it in and email it to the Secretary: keithhend@gmail.com
Or print it and phone 09 8369104 to find out where to post it.

I wish to join Waitemata Branch Of Unite

Mr/Ms/Miss
Name...............................................................................................
Address...............................................................................................................
Phone:
Home………………………....... Work…………………….. Mobile…………………….
E-mail………………………….............................................................

Fill in as applicable
Employer........................................................................................
Work place.....................................................................................
School ............................................................................................
Tertiary Institution.....................................................................
Benefit............................................................................................
Pension..........................................................................................
Care-giver e.g. parent.................................................................
Voluntary occupation..................................................................
Other occupation.........................................................................
Signed.................................................... Date.....................................

Rally against the 90 Act! This Saturday, 12 Noon, Aotea Square!

There will be a mass rally against the 90 Day Act this Saturday , 12 Noon, February 28th , at the Aotea Square, Queen Street , Auckland.

Waitemata Unite's President says:
This legislation is really dangerous for beneficiaries who may be forced into unsuitable work, then sacked, then refused a benefit because they have been sacked! We need to resist all sackings, and make sure all our unions do too, especially UNITE! The good thing is- you can stay in UNITE no matter what; and the Waitemata Branch is a voice for beneficiaries in the union.

Mass Action defeated the Wayne Mapp 90 Day Bill before. We need mass action to defeat this current 90 Day Act.

Employers Take Advantage of 90 Day Act at Time of Recession

All bets off as jobless hit six-year highEmployers are turning to easier-to-fire part-time and casual staff for a more flexible workforce to help them through the economic downturn.Figures made public yesterday by Statistics New Zealand show unemployment hit a six-year high of 4.6 per cent in the December quarter. This was up from 4.2 per cent in September a rise of 10.8 per cent in three months. There are now 105,000 jobless nationwide. Most economists expect unemployment to reach 7 per cent this year, putting pressure on the Reserve Bank to further cut the official cash rate from 3.5 per cent to as low as 2 per cent by the middle of the year. But economists say the big surprise in December's figures was the 0.9 per cent increase in the number of people in work in the quarter, mainly due to the 3.5 per cent rise in part-time workers. The number of fulltime employees also rose, but by a modest 0.3 per cent. Just over 69 per cent of the workforce was employed, up 0.6 per cent, as people tried to make ends meet, economists said. "All these extra job-hunters overwhelmed the supply of jobs," ASB economist Jane Turner said. Robin Clements at UBS said the increase in the number of part-time workers suggested employers were turning to casual staff who were "easier to let go if need be".Just as Tumeke predicted when National misused urgency and pack raped the select committee process to ram through the right to sack law, employers are now starting to focus on only casual employment so that they can sack new workers under the new 90 day law. With over 7% unemployment predicted this year, plus the many NZers who will flee the Australian economic and environmental collapse plus the 100 000 NZers who find themselves as new employers every 3 months, that creates a massive slice of NZ who are always new employees and as such are ripe for exploitation. These figures show how quickly that exploitation is starting.
(Reprinted from www.tumeke.blogspot.com/ -)

Poverty is Government's Shame, Not Ours!

Issued August 2006

Poverty Is Government's Shame Not Ours!

Fight Back Against the Second Wave of Attacks Against the Poor

Replace the In Work Payment with

Real Increased Family Support for All!

One in Four Families Living in Severe to Significant Hardship!
The Ministry of Social Development's Living Standards Report 2004, says that the proportion of families with children living in severe and significant hardship rose from 18% in 2000 to 26% in 2004.
This group is composed almost entirely of beneficiaries. This means we often can't afford basic items like heating, medical bills, or fresh fruit and vegetables. The economy grew by 17% at the same time.
While our incomes fell, employers made big profits.

Beneficiaries Miss Out on Real Family Support Increase.
Did you know that the Government recently made significant increases in Family Support to all families? However it slashed benefits by approximately the same amount at the same time! That's why you didn't notice a big increase in your income. This is a hidden benefit cut

“Working For Families” Discriminates Against Beneficiaries! No “ In Work Payment” for Us!
The Government's “Working for Families” package provides an In Work Payment (tax concessions)
to families on low to middle incomes; but it excludes families of those living in the worst poverty, beneficiaries! At least 175,000 New Zealand children will get nothing from the package, including children of around 40% of Maori families, and 30% of Pacific Island families
The Child Poverty Action Groups is taking the Government to Court for this shameful discrimination.

Reverse the 1991 Benefit Cuts!
The recent deaths of the Kahui twins brings home the terrible effects of generations of poverty brought about by the massive job losses caused by the economic restructuring of the 80's, followed by the slashing of benefits by as much as 24 % in December 1990, and the Employment Contracts Act in 1991.The hardest hit include Women , Children, Maori, and Pacific people. This is economic violence towards the most vulnerable members of society.

Don't Blame us for Unemployment!
Employers needed to lay people off work in order to bring wages down, and to have a pool of unemployed ready to take on any work when required.
To add insult to injury, those who lost their jobs were then blamed for being unemployed!
Now that employers want workers again, everybody is expected to work, including mothers of young children, and the severely sick

Mothering is work!
Mothers are raising the next generation of citizens, workers and tax payers.
Mothers on the DPB are heroically attempting to bring up their children at levels of severe hardship. We are then blamed for any social problems in our communities, as well as for draining the economy.
Some parents are forced by extremely low wages to work long broken shifts at any time of the day or night; and are unable to give their children the attention they need.


Full Funding of Women's Refuges and Social Services
If the Government is serious about stopping violence, it must fully fund these services now.

We need affordable housing now!
The Government has sold off most of our state houses, and the Accommodation Supplement helps landlords to charge sky high rents! Some of us who help each other by sharing housing to reduce costs, are attacked for being in “clusters”! We have the right to live together to help make ends meet! We also need to be able to afford to live alone.. Mothers who need to leave violent relationships need a living DPB. It's our right!

Reinstate the Special Benefit
In 1991, benefits were deliberately set below the level of people's basic needs.
Many people, especially single parent families, were forced to apply for top ups such as the Special Benefit to make ends meet. The Special Benefit was designed to meet special needs, and could be adjusted according to the beneficiary's circumstances.
Now, the Special Benefit has been abolished, and replaced with a drastically reduced Temporary Assistance Grant. It is capped, and if you need more assistance, you won't get it.

Stop Wayne Mapp's “90 Days and You're Sacked” Bill.
Jobs Jolt, introduced in 2004, has led to record numbers of people on unemployment benefits having their benefits suspended for failing work tests. This has caused unbearable hardship.
If this Bill is successful, beneficiaries could be forced to take work and to sign clauses allowing employers to sack us within 90 days, without any reason.
If we refuse, we face a benefit stand down. If we take the job, we face a stand down when we are sacked! We must unite now against this Bill ! Only a strong union movement, together with a united community can win against attacks upon workers' and beneficiaries' rights.
Unite! opposes this Bill.

No More Benefit Cuts! No Work Testing of Mothers and Invalids!
The Government plans to introduce a Single Core Benefit. Its purpose is to achieve a “rapid return to full time work”, and save itself seventy million dollars. All benefits will be reduced to the level of the Unemployment Benefit. Those with children or health needs will have to apply for top ups. Mothers and invalids will have to be available for work, whether suitable for their family or health needs or not.
We must unite to fight these attacks now! Social Needs must come before employers’ needs.

Unions and Communities Together! Beneficiaries and Workers UNITE!
Unite! is a union for low paid workers, unemployed and beneficiaries. We can help each other!
When we all stand up for our rights, in a union movement, we can achieve a living income for all!
Join us! Let us know about your struggles! Come to Our meetings!
We meet on the third Saturday of the month at 11 am at the Avondale Community Centre.
If you would like to know more, and to confirm meeting times, telephone Keith: 8369104.

Issued by the Waitemata Branch of Unite!

August 2006