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Friday, April 30, 2010
TUMEKE!: Bennett: who pays?
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
nzherald.co.nz - Denied help for sexual abuse, dead days later
sarah bogle thought you would be interested in the following item from nzherald.co.nz: Denied help for sexual abuse, dead days later A review of new rules for sexual abuse counselling has come too late to save a South Auckland mother who died four days after her claim for ACC-funded counselling was rejected. Counselling Services ... More The following personal message was also included: Cuts Kill! Sign up for regular email news updates from nzherald.co.nz - click here. Visit nzherald.co.nz throughout the day for the latest breaking news. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For internal use only: 118.90.94.251 - 2010042715.25.48 Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.2.3) Gecko/20100401 Firefox/3.6.3 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Living Wage Party 1st May
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Friday, April 23, 2010
What's Wrong with the Super City?
..and what can we do about it? Redrave says:- Socialise Tamaki Makaurau
http://redrave.blogspot.com/2010/04/socialise-tamaki-makaurau-auckland.html
http://redrave.blogspot.com/2010/04/socialise-tamaki-makaurau-auckland.html
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Mayday! Unite the Fight against National's Attacks!
At 9.45 am on Saturday 1st May at the Piha Surf Life Saving Club we are going to put Paula Bennett and the National Party on the spot about their anti-welfare policies, the proposed mining of national parks, and the creation of the anti-democratic Super City.
We will ask her to justify:
Taking the Waitakeres out of local control and putting it in the hands of developers
Abolishing the Training Incentive allowance which enabled Paula herself to further her career
Forcing stretched mothers into non existant paid employment
- Stopping benefits for people who fail work tests (Does this mean people who fail to find the non existant work?)
- Expecting the already over -stretched Salvation Army to pick up the tab to feed hungry children and families
- Taking policy advice from those who make profits from unemployment (see article below, Paula Bennett's strange panel)
- Forcing an anti -democratic Super City upon Aucklanders; which will be mostly run by private companies with little to no accountability
- Proposing to mine the beautiful National Parks in the Coromandel, Great Barrier Island, and the West Coast when the planet is already running out of precious resources
- Shifting money from the poor to the rich by raising GST
- Increasing surveillance of innocent people with the Search and Surveillance Bill
- Cutbacks in ACC, Health, and Education and moves towards their privatisation
- Privatisation of prisons.
- Closing the Titirangi mental health service run by Mind Matters Trust
- Cutting funding to women's refuges
- Closing down community education programmes
- Keeping the minimum wage and benefits at below a living income
These are just a few of the attacks upon us all! And they will not be the last!
With Attacks from all sides, we need to Unite the Fight against this National Government!
Join Us at Piha Surf Life Saving Club to show Paula that we will not accept this attack upon our civil and democratic rights, our livelihoods, our communities, and our beautiful land!
Afterwards we will join the anti-mining protesters, the May Day celebrators and the JB Hi FI Strikers in Queen St on this International Workers Day 2010.
Paula Bennett May Day Challenge
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Paula Bennett's Strange Panel
Paula Bennett's Strange Panel
Hows this for pushing workfare?
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2010/04/20/campbell-paula-bennett%E2%80%99s-strange-welfare-panel/
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2010/04/20/campbell-paula-bennett%E2%80%99s-strange-welfare-panel/
Check on MSN NZ Money for a hand Feeling the financial pinch?
Monday, April 19, 2010
Whanau Ora? Empowerment or Privatisation?
Will Whanau Ora empower families to get their needs met by bringing services directly to them , as Tariana Turia says it will; or is it just another move towards privatisation of social services on National's part?
For the view of John Minto (who works for Unite) visit
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1004/S00111.htm
For the view of John Minto (who works for Unite) visit
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1004/S00111.htm
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Why Paula? May 1st, Piha Surf Club 10 am
We'll be attending Paula Bennett's Community Meeting at Piha Surf Club on May 1st-May Day- at 10 am, to ask her why she 's attacking beneficiaries and why she wants to take the control of the Waitakere Ranges out of local hands . More info later, or contact the Secretary keithhend@gmail.com
Scoop Link: Mining the land and undermining the children
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1003/S00303.htm
Mining the land and undermining the children
Monday, 29 March 2010, 1:55 pm
Column: Anne Else
Letter from Elsewhere - By Anne
Else Mining the land and undermining the
children
What do conservation estates and
domestic purposes beneficiaries have in common? Both of them
look after the country’s most valuable assets. But you
wouldn’t know it from the way John Key and his government
have been acting lately.
In the latest Sunday Star
Times (28 March), Rod Oram lambasts the government for
“failing to seek a robust, long-term solution†to the
mining versus conservation issue â€" one which would ensure
that “the economy and environment, treated well, can
enhance each otherâ€. Instead, he says, “tthe government
has failed utterly to be strategic. Instead it is trying to
get by being simply tactical.â€
[....]
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Structural adjustment a major cause of poverty?
A member sent us in this link. What do you think? What causes poverty?
http://www.globalissues.org/article/3/structural-adjustment-a-major-cause-of-poverty
http://www.globalissues.org/article/3/structural-adjustment-a-major-cause-of-poverty
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
May Day - Workers Day! Party for a Living Wage
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March against Mining New Zealand
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Saturday, April 10, 2010
Welfare reforms discriminatory | http://www.facebook.com/l/fb256;Stuff.co.nz
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Susan St John: Govt's sums on welfare savings don't quite add up - Politics - NZ Herald News
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A member writes about the hardships of being a beneficiary
WE all apreciate what you guys are doing on our behalf. At the moment we are struggling to keep roofs over our heads and our kids out of the justice and mental health system. What makes us all so ultimatly fearful is that the logistics of being on a low income means that it takes us 4 times as long to do what "normal" people do every day, just to survive the increasing burden of beurocracy to maintain an income. Working poor, a group that will increase under Paula Bennet do not have the luxury of affording fast food, housekeepers, or transport, and often telephones. Food parcels are often inaccessible due to lack of transport. Even bus fares become unaffordable in many cases, money for multiple meetings, appointments, and comply with a host beurocratic demands to even receive what we get now. This is possibly the most underrated and difficult aspect of Paula Bennet's proposed regime. Her proposals threaten to increase this demand as well as expecting usually sick, disabled or parents and otherwise impaired people to comply with 15 hours work a week on top of this. I was shocked to see people still in pajamas waiting for some considerable times at New Lynn WINZ office.
The person I was supporting has 3 children, 2 of whom are under school age, and unable to drive. To get to a WINZ review appointment at 9am they gave her 48hours notice, and the paperwork arrived by courier at 5pm the preceeding day. To get to the appointment she had to arrange safe supervision for her children, leave the house at 7am with her children to get to a sitter, and walk to the office from Green Bay.
More often than is admitted because of the imposed complexity of the administartive regime staff do not have a whole lot of incentive to be fair as opposed to being expedient. The situation often demands that to be safe a support person is needed to accompany people to even reletivly insignificant WINZ, CYFS, or Justice department meetings to ensure that people are not taken advantage of. These people are not readily available in the community.This is time consuming and often happens at least once or twice a week, sometimes more. This comes at a time when 3 major support organisations, 1 being in existence for 100 years, have had their funding slashed or in most cases removed altogether.
I predict a whole lot more teen pregnancies, drug addiction, especially meth, and alcohol problems and less relinquishment of smoking habits,violence and property crime and increase in mental ill health as a result of increased stress from having an already inadequate income slashed as punishment for not obtaining those jobs that must only exist in Paula Bennet's imagination.
The person I was supporting has 3 children, 2 of whom are under school age, and unable to drive. To get to a WINZ review appointment at 9am they gave her 48hours notice, and the paperwork arrived by courier at 5pm the preceeding day. To get to the appointment she had to arrange safe supervision for her children, leave the house at 7am with her children to get to a sitter, and walk to the office from Green Bay.
More often than is admitted because of the imposed complexity of the administartive regime staff do not have a whole lot of incentive to be fair as opposed to being expedient. The situation often demands that to be safe a support person is needed to accompany people to even reletivly insignificant WINZ, CYFS, or Justice department meetings to ensure that people are not taken advantage of. These people are not readily available in the community.This is time consuming and often happens at least once or twice a week, sometimes more. This comes at a time when 3 major support organisations, 1 being in existence for 100 years, have had their funding slashed or in most cases removed altogether.
I predict a whole lot more teen pregnancies, drug addiction, especially meth, and alcohol problems and less relinquishment of smoking habits,violence and property crime and increase in mental ill health as a result of increased stress from having an already inadequate income slashed as punishment for not obtaining those jobs that must only exist in Paula Bennet's imagination.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Winz moves early to bring in tough stance on benefits - National - NZ Herald News
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Domestic violence cases increasing | http://www.facebook.com/l/32e58;Stuff.co.nz
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Thursday, April 8, 2010
$20 increase not for Unemployment benefit
The $20 increase in allowed earnings from $80 TO $100 per week- promised in National's election policy- will not be permitted for people on unemployment or sickness benefits- only for those on the DPB, widows and invalids benefits.
On top of that many people on invalids benefits have already been transferred to sickness benefits , dropping their incomes by $49 per week.
This follows National's earlier abolition of the Training Incentive Allowance which gave single parents a chance to develop a career.
Worse is to come in October when the official changes come in.(See post: Workers and Beneficiaries Unite Against this Rotten Government .)
These scandalous cuts are a dramatically worsened continuation of a trend already started by Labour with its abolishing of the Special Benefit and hidden benefit cuts inside increased family Support for all, and its intensive case management.
On top of that many people on invalids benefits have already been transferred to sickness benefits , dropping their incomes by $49 per week.
This follows National's earlier abolition of the Training Incentive Allowance which gave single parents a chance to develop a career.
Worse is to come in October when the official changes come in.(See post: Workers and Beneficiaries Unite Against this Rotten Government .)
These scandalous cuts are a dramatically worsened continuation of a trend already started by Labour with its abolishing of the Special Benefit and hidden benefit cuts inside increased family Support for all, and its intensive case management.
Amy Gets Her Pay!
Waitemata Branch member Amy's pay had been owing for nearly three months from a finance company which shares a flash office space on the Auckland waterfront with another finance company and and a right wing politicician. A short visit from Amy and supporters in her branch and the problem was resolved. Amy received her pay!Beneficiaries and Workers Unite Against Cuts!
Unite Waitemata members and supporters demonstrate against benefit cuts at the office of Paula Bennett, Minister of Social Wefare on 27 March 2010.
Beneficiaries and workers unite
Beneficiaries and Workers Unite Against This Rotten Government
Unite Waitemata Branch held a protest outside Paula Bennett’s office, Saturday 11 am, 27 March
429 Great North Rd, Henderson, against the National Government's attacks upon beneficiaries.
The National Government plans to force all single mothers into part time work, once their children are six. Those on Unemployment benefit who fail work tests will have their benefits halved or stopped. Sickness benefits are to be re-assessed and hardship grants are to be tightened. All benefits are to be stopped after one year and must be re applied for.
And even before these measures officially come about, National has already been forcing people off the Invalids Benefit and onto Sickness Benefits-where they lose $49 per week!
These measures show a “disturbing lack of empathy” towards those who cannot work or who can only work part time while on a benefit” (Child Poverty Action Group). It is simply not appropriate for all mothers on the DPB to be forced into outside work when their child reaches a particular age. Mothering is work, and must be fully supported by society. Family needs vary and it must be the mother’s decision when she undertakes paid work.
The attacks upon benefits are part of the government’s agenda make its capitalist friends rich at our expense. In a time of rising unemployment it is absurd to bring in measures that force beneficiaries to work in order to qualify for a benefit. It’s work for the dole by another name.
The government is trying to to whip up sexist, racist, beneficiary -bashing sentiments; to get support for its greedy and heartless attacks upon our livelihoods. It tries to divide the “deserving” poor-eg widows, against the “undeserving” eg single mothers.
It is also trying to divide non beneficiaries (those who rely on paid work as their main income) against beneficiaries (those whose main source of income is a benefit). In fact our interests are the same: we all need living incomes-whether in the form of wages, benefits, accommodation supplements; student allowances, pensions, family support etc or any combination of these.
In today’s economy many workers rely on state support at times, and many beneficiaries also do paid work. When benefits rise, so do wages.
Workers and Beneficiaries Unite for a Living Income for All! Raise the Minimum Wage to at least $15 per hour! Raise all Benefits to a living income! Say no to punitive Benefit Threats and Cuts! End Child poverty NOW! Say No to youth rates!
We won’t pay for their crisis! Make the bosses pay! I
Issued by the acting President of the Waitemata Branch of Unite!
Tel: (Secretary) 8369104 txt: (President) 021 2166937
Unite! is a community union for low paid workers, students and beneficiaries
If you want to take part of more actions against these cuts get in touch!
Join Unite Waitemata Branch!
Children Protest against Cuts
Children joined their mothers at the Protest outside Paula Bennett's office against attacks on Benefits organised by the Unite Waitemata Branch on 27th March.Protest Against Attacks on Benefits
On 27th March Unite Waitemata Branch organised a protest outside Paula Bennett's office in Henderson against the savage attacks upon beneficiaries by the National Government. About fifty people attended including beneficiaries, single mothers and their children, carers, students, anarcha- feminists, socialists, the Green Party, Unite Union, Living Wage Campaign and Socialism Aotearoa
Unite Flying Picket
Unite Waitemata Secretary Keith (far left) and Living Wage Campaigner Joe (centre) with Living Wage crew on Queen St on April 1st.
25 Cents Won't Pay the Rent
and
Strike Strike -- Strike strike strike! they chanted outside Burger King, MacDonalds and other low paying fast food outlets.
Unite Waitemata Branch members attended a flying picket of low wage food outlets on April 1st, 2010-John Key's a Fool Day.
We picketted MacDonalds, JB Hi Fi, Burger King, Hollywood Cafe, and many others up and down the length of Queen St.
Waitemata Branch members have been very busy supporting the Living Wage Campaign organised by the Unite Union. The campaign aims to raise the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour. Alongside that we need Living Benefits. Beneficiaries and Workers Unite for a living income for all!
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