Child Poverty Double the 1980's, Well Past Tipping Point

National Day of Protest Against Welfare Reforms, 5 October

Waitemata Unite is joining a National Day of Protest Against Welfare Reforms,  on 5th October, 2012. 

We propose:

12 noon: Rally at Henderson Square, Catherine Street, near Great North Rd, in front of Westfield Shopping Mall

12.30: March to WINZ 

1pm Protest outside WINZ , 36 Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson

1.30 : march to Paul Bennett's Office

2pm Protest outside Bennett's Office,  429 Great North Rd. 

Join our Facebook Event Page and contribute your ideas:

http://www.facebook.com/events/115323888618428/

http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/national-day-of-protest-against-welfare.html
National Day of Protest Against Welfare Reforms, 5 October 

The new Welfare Regime is due to start in October, and the second wave of "reforms" are going through parliament now. 

Seven benefits will be replaced by only three: Job Seeker Support, Sole Parent Support, and  Supported Living Payment. The Sickness Benefit has been abolished with the sick now having to be job seekers. Most sole parents will have to look for work, including  some  mothers with babies as young as one .

 WINZ  is threatening to halve  benefits of parents who don't use early childhood education, or don't get medical checks, and Job Seekers who  fail drug tests,   or even- happen to miss the phone when WINZ calls them!  People who refuse what WINZ defines as "suitable" work (ie  fits WINZ's hours rules) will have their benefits docked for 13 weeks!! 

 Youth  only get pocket money. They will  be   managed by private providers,  who can  force  young mothers  with  breastfeeding  babies   to do full time  training!

People up and down the country are outraged by these attacks! 

It is time to fight back! Join  the Protest! 

National Day of Protest Against Welfare Reforms, 5th October, 2012. 

Calling on academics, parents, and our community to unite.
Vulnerable parents, and vulnerable communities create vulnerable children.
The Government has been rolling out policy it says will help curve child poverty and change NZ shocking child abuse rates. However, punitive measures are attacking the poor and putting chi
ldren at risk.
“The Government is attacking beneficiaries with the guise of protecting children, but stripping parents and our communities of what’s left of any supportive foundations is harming those we should be fighting to protect. Parenting is not a privilege of the rich. We are heading down a dark path where sole parents are being victimised and abused by the state, instead of supported and respected as our most important asset in stopping abuse against children in this country. It’s time our society stopped letting our Government shape our ideology, and had a real discussion about the direction we are heading. In order to change the abuse our children suffer, we must start to value parenting as an important role in society.”
“Beneficiaries are an easy target for Governments to attack, because beneficiaries are in hard times, struggling to survive and make the best out of a hard situation, so organising any form of united front against such attacks is hard work. Picking on sole parents is easy to do, but at what cost?
The Government now states they are slashing benefits if parents don’t comply with the new regime. If a parent who is struggling on a benefit gets their benefit cut 50%, who is being punished?
The children.
It’s the children who will be going hungry. This is the reality! Children will and are suffering from this Government’s punitive measures.
Parents must unite and draw support from each other, to tell this Government that “we won’t let them attack our children any longer.”
Sole parents are not irresponsible timewasters, who can be replaced by institutional day-care centres. Parents are our children’s first and most important teachers. Sole parent are the parents who have taken on the responsibility of raising the child, and have dedicated themselves to this important task. We don’t see this Government chasing up the parent who is not financially supporting the parent who is caring for the child. No, we see women being told they need contraceptives, and to get back to work.
Parenting is work. It’s the most important work in this country.
We have the research that shows day-care is not a substitute for good parenting. We can’t let this Government treat children like a disposable commodity anymore. Children are our Toanga, and we dam well need to protect them.
There were some great academics contributing to the Green Paper on Vulnerable Children who stood up and spoke out against this Governments agenda of benefit bashing. We need these academics to help us unite and have a voice in this country.
There must be a debate, at the moment all we have is one punitive measure after another hitting the poor like bombs. This is a call to action for everyone and anyone who is concerned about the direction of our society.
Every single parent on the benefit who is being attacked needs to join together to have a discussion. We need the community to help turn this into a discussion, instead of a war on the poor.
It isn’t just parents under attack, those members of our community who are unwell are also under huge pressure.
People looking for work are being punished for not finding it, when it’s the Government who have destroyed the jobs in this country and continue to do so.
All beneficiaries must unite, and we need help to do this!' 

http://www.facebook.com/groups/360890093983840/

Janet Grossman Quits as Head of WINZ

Janet Grossman was asked to be the head of WINZ  after she had introduced some harsh changes to the way pensions were issued in the UK. See our earlier article on the subject.  She replaced case officers with call centre operators and computers, saving the government money but  leaving  many people unable to afford the call to make an appointment.  However, maybe even she found Paula Rebstock's fanaticism too harsh? Or  was it just a power struggle that she lost ? 


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10811934

Work and Income boss Janet Grossman has quit less than a year after being head-hunted from the UK, amid controversy over the Government's welfare reforms.

Grossman was recruited in July last year from Britain's Pensions Service.

Like all top bureaucrats, Grossman was entitled to up to $50,000 relocation costs from the State Services Commission to help pay for flights, freight costs, up to eight weeks' accommodation and visa expenses.

Public Service Association national secretary Brenda Pilott thought the abrupt departure was the result of high pressure surrounding welfare reforms.

"The speculation I'd heard is to do with the board that's been put in place to oversee the reforms," she said.

The board was appointed by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett to oversee changes, which are largely based on the report of the Welfare Working Group which was chaired by consultant Paula Rebstock.

Pilott said: "I had heard that Janet was somewhat surprised to find out about the board as it wasn't quite what she believed she had been recruited for.

She came out here to discover that Paula Rebstock is running Work and Income."

Ministry of Social Development chief executive Brendan Boyle confirmed Grossman resigned this week and left the office on Friday. "Janet has taken the difficult decision to resign as she puts her family's needs first and returns to the United Kingdom."

By Edward Rooney.

What to do if you have to see a WINZ Designated Doctor

 Based upon the experience of beneficiaries,  we present:

SOME GOOD  ADVICE  TO APPLICANTS / BENEFICIARIES FACING MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS BY SO-CALLED DESIGNATED DOCTORS, WHO ARE COMMISSIONED AND USED BY WORK AND INCOME AND M.S.D. 

CLIENTS/APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. When facing a medical examination under s 44 and s 54B of the Social Security Act 1964 - as part of a review for a sickness or invalid's benefit, clients/applicants should ask to be examined and assessed by a medical practitioner or psychologist of THEIR choice! It has to be a doctor or specialist they do not usually see themselves. So it would pay to look around for one. ONLY when a case manager does reject a chosen medical practitioner or psychologist picked by a client/applicant, can they then tell a person whom to see, which usually still should at least allow a "pick" from a short list (which is what they mostly offer, without even considering a client's/applicant's preference)! Regrettably in at least some cases, WINZ case managers simply told a client or applicant, whom to see - or to restrict their choice to take a pick from a short-list. This doesn’t sufficiently meet the legal provisions though.

"Agreement" must first be attempted between a case manager and client/applicant, before a WINZ case manager can object to a client’s/applicants choice and expect the affected person to see a medical practitioner or psychologist proposed by WINZ/M.S.D.!

2. In selecting a medical practitioner or psychologist under those parts of the Act, a client/applicant should at least try to express the expectation that a professional medical examiner or assessor must have the appropriate, sufficient expertise and qualifications in the areas of health the client/applicant suffers from! This is not clarified sufficiently by the law as it stands, but some would suggest, the law implies that a reasonable effort must be made by WINZ case managers and other staff involved, achieving the best and most appropriate match of medical practitioner/psychologist to the conditions and disabilities a client/applicant suffers from.

At least for the last few years, MSD and WINZ have almost exclusively been referring clients/applicants to GPs, but one must fairly ask how appropriately and sufficiently qualified are general practitioners to professionally and competently assess for instance mental health sufferers, and/or persons with addiction illnesses? Without possessing further (post graduate) qualifications in those areas, it is doubtful or at least uncertain.

This is an area needing further clarification, so by making decisive attempts to get their rights and expectations best met, clients/applicants should be very mindful of their particular needs and what a fair application of the law should mean in their case. It should therefore at least be attempted to raise the expectation to be examined and assessed by the right and most competent, suitably qualified medical professional!

3. When going to a medical examination/assessment by an appointed (agreed or not agreed) medical practitioner/psychologist, a client/applicant should make every effort to go WITH A TRUSTED SUPPORT PERSON! A doctor/psychologist can object to this, but then it should be negotiated with him/her, and also ideally with WINZ, whether a chosen support person should be accepted or not. Certainly any applicant/client affected has a right to be supported, so if one support person is rejected, a reasonable alternative must be accepted. It is advised to inform the medical professional beforehand of a support person to come along.

The support person may be an advocate, a caregiver, a friend, a relative, or 

whosoever, but having a witness, who may ideally also take notes, that will ensure that a doctor or other health professional will not be misled or tempted to make any wrong or biased decisions. Medical practitioners and psychologists will be prompted to act carefully, be diligent, thorough and listen to the client/applicant and conduct a truly professional, evidence based, fair and reasonable examination and following assessment.

4. When facing a Medical Appeal Board (see section 53A of the Act) for hearing an appeal against a decision by a “designated doctor” and WINZ, the possible input into who may be appointed to the 3 member panel is not so great, but when presented with the panel, a client/applicant should seriously think again: Is there personnel on the panel, that is expert and qualified enough in the areas of ill health that I suffer from? Do I feel the members are all competent, with the appropriate and sufficient skills and qualifications needed to re-assess my health situation and ability to work or not? If in doubt, this should be raised with M.S.D.’s Medical Appeals Coordinator.

In any case, if there are any serious problems arising from taking these precautions and making such demands, then it will certainly pay to consult a beneficiary advocate. But sections 44 (1) and 54B (3) of the Act should be clear.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Sadly most clients/applicants do not think enough about all these important questions, and the possible harmful, negative consequences. Taking those precautions can protect from much wrongdoing and suffering down the line, and thus ensure a fairer treatment by medical practitioners, other health professionals and consequently also WINZ staff.

There may well be changes coming with the new proposed welfare reforms, to be announced by the present government soon. So this space will need to be watched and adjustments to new legal interpretations may become necessary.
What is of a great concern to all affected, is also the fact, that since 2008 the “designated doctors” used by Work and Income and M.S.D. have been TRAINED by the Ministry, which happened under the directions and management of the since 2007 employed Principal Health Advisor, Dr David Bratt (a general practitioner). This is also widely not know, and as the examples with some ACC cases have shown, it pays to be highly alert and cautious about medical examinations conducted by the designated doctors that Work and Income and M.S.D. choose and commission!

Farewell to William Peter Bradley, May Day 2012.

Our beloved  branch member William Peter Bradley passed away on 1st May 2012. Born on 26 November 1942, William, who was known to many of us for years as Peter, was a  tireless fighter for justice, and a champion both for people and for the environment.  With qualifications in town planning, sociology and architecture, William was way ahead of his time in promoting environmental concerns and relating them to social issues. One of the projects he was passionate about was protecting  the   Grafton gully cemetery from motorway extensions; and he was also a member of Corso. William practiced considerable kindness to those who knew him, and always had a friendly face, a cup of tea, or a room to stay in, for those came came to visit  him at his home in Coleridge Rd  across the road from the Grey Lynn supermarket, where he lived for many  decades.  A smoker, William suffered from emphysema in his later years and lived at  a residential village in  Mt Albert.  William was a pioneering researcher and prolific letter writer,  and had many letters published in the mainstream media.  A passage from a letter William wrote to his aunt in 1986 gives us a glimpse of this humanitarian and socially committed human being.

 William was farewelled by family and friends  at Grange Manor on Friday 4th May.  Our sympathies go out to his family. He will be greatly  missed.

Janet

John and Paula: Keep your Hands off our Bodies and our Babies!

The Government has announced its plan to "offer"  "free" long term contraceptive devices such as implants or IUD's to beneficiary women and their 16 year old  daughters!  When this is combined  with the threat of having to  leave your 12 month old  baby  to do full time paid work ; or  the threat  of   losing  your  benefit if you don't ,  this is no "free" offer, but a coercive measure where the state is aiming to take control of women's bodies. 

We say to  John Key and Paula Bennett- keep your hands of our bodies and our babies!  If the government really wanted to help low income people to get contraception that they otherwise could not afford, they would  make it free for all  people, male and female,  both in and out of work;   and not target women and beneficiaries. The method   of contraception needs to be the choice of the person using it  -whether condoms, diaphragms, the pill, etc as well as the long term devices.  The  long term methods are known to have poor health side effects for some women and should not be forced upon women  simply because they are the only free methods or because the woman fears to be punished if she has a baby.

Mothering is working and is a tremendous contribution to society. We are raising the next generation of workers! In Australia all parents get a gift of a several thousand dollars when they have a child. This government is  discriminating against  the children of beneficiaries, treating them  as unwelcome and  as  second class citizens, indeed as hardly human.  This is an abuse of the human rights of babies and of mothers.  Paula Bennett openly says that the work requirement for mothers of babies is a penalty for having the baby! And she has not ruled out compulsary contraception in the future- just saying that we "sort of" aren't yet at that stage. 

When children up North search for food in chicken scraps bins and antibiotics bottles, 

we need to remove this government that sacrifices the welfare of women and children for the sake of corporate thieves!

Hey There John Key, Raising Kids is Working! Lively May Day Protest.

Members of Waitemata Unite , the Service and Food Workers Union, Occupy Auckland, Mana Waitakere,  Feminist Action , The Auckland Women's Centre, Citizens Against Privatisation, The Water Pressure Group, the Home Birth Society, and other unionists and community  members gathered together on May Day, International Workers Day;  to celebrate the work of Mothers and to protest against the Social Security Amendment Bill which  will require mothers who have a child on a benefit to be available for paid work when their baby is just 12 months old.

The gathering at Aotea Square, and the pram parade up to WINZ Queen St was  the first of actions around the world  in support of the Global General Strike called by Occupy Wall St.
Although the strike was largely symbolic at this point, it acknowledges that our labour (whether paid or unpaid) is our power, and that if we withdraw our labour for long enough, and get organised;  we can bring the capitalist system to its knees.

Several women spoke about the importance of mothers being able to raise their babies and not be forced to give them up to day care;  and of the need for recognition of the valuable work the mothers do.

  About one hundred Mothers , grandmothers and activists with   small children pushed strollers with babies and teddies up the street, leading the other  protestors and unionists carrying   colourful banners and placards. We sang  "Hey there John Key, Hey there John Key, Do you hear? Do you hear? Raising kids is working , Raising kids is working, Is  that clear? Is that clear?"  (to the tune of Frere Jacques). Chants included: " Calling mothers, calling children, Join together, Join your union" and "Welfare Rights are under attack, Stand Up Fight Back."

At WINZ  a delegation  went up the path to the foyer and asked to be allowed to go in for five minutes to give teddies to the children (who often have to wait for hours with no toys to play with)  and to give some flyers to the beneficiaries about the latest welfare changes.  However Hilda Rash , the manager of WINZ Queen St, a policeman and a security guard , would not let us in. One woman was eventually allowed in without any flyers   but was grabbed extremely roughly by a policeman when she tried to tell the people in there  about the protest outside. She suffered painful cuts to her hands. Many of the protestors were extremely upset about this violence towards a peaceful protestor; and upset in the first place  about  not being allowed  into a public building.

At about 2.15 pm  protestors  from the foyer joined with those  on the street  to  tell them what had happened, and some more people  addressed the crowd. The last speaker, Hone Popata,  encouraged people to join the  Aotearoa is not for Sale Hikoi which was on its way to Wellington (and which included another welfare protest in Wellington  a few days later). We ended  with more chants led by Hone:  "Community rights are under attack , Stand up fight back,"
"Babies' rights are under attack, Stand up Fight Back"
and a call -response
"I say "Wahine", "You say "Toa " "
"Wahine'  .."Toa"   'Wahine'....."Toa"
'I say "Tama"  "You say "Toa" "
"Tama"..."Toa."
"Tama'.... 'Toa"

The whole event was filmed by Redstar on live stream and can be viewed here:

http://bambuser.com/v/2601683

Press Statement on Welfare Reforms, for International Workers Day

 Press Statement from Waitemata Unite

                            on the Government’s Welfare Reforms

On May Day, International Workers Day, 1st May, 2012.

May Day,  1^st May, International Workers Day, is  a celebration of the internatonal worker’s movement,  a time to celebrate our achievements and to promote our rights.  Workers create the  goods and services upon which our society depends.

This May Day, Tuesday 1^st May, the Waitemata Branch of the Unite Union is calling for the work of mothers and carers  to be recognised for the important work it is.

“Mothering is a 24 hour per day job which is not even paid “, said Janet Robin  who is President of the branch.

“Mothers are bringing up the future workers and tax payers” she said. “ In the future we are going to need many more young people to do the work  so that society can support  our increasingly  elderly population,.”

“Children are our taonga”, she said. “Society should be appreciating and supporting the mothers who raise them.”  “ But this government treats  single mothers and their  children as unwelcome and blames  them for the economic crisis which  they did not create.”

Ms Robin said that both National and Labour  discriminate against beneficiary families.

 Labour’s Working for Families gave tax concessions to families who did not receive benefits,  but not to those that did.  “Although this improved the incomes of some   families, it widened the gap with the very poorest ones headed by single  parents”, she said.

It also meant that some wealthier families could afford to have a parent at home, and yet a  poor single parent, who had no partner to help her with her children, was expected to  go out and get a job, at a time of rising unemployment.

“National’s Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus” Amendment Bill is  even worse “ she said.  “A first born child’s need to have its  mother at home until school age is recognised, but the need  of a second child for its mother  is not.”

 “ Indeed some mothers of one year old babies will be required to be available for full time work!” she said. “National is saying that this second child is a second class citizen.”

“The early years are crucial for a child’s attachment and bonding with its primary parent” said Ms Robin.  “Children need love and security to grow up to be healthy responsible adults.” “Breast feeding is best for a child’s health, but this government’s policies don’t support that either.”

“All mothers and children should be valued and supported by society” said Ms Robin. “We call for Paid Parental Leave to be extended until the child is at least three.”   “ Mothers in the work force need free quality child care and  time off for breast feeding, sick children, and school holidays.”   “Women need to receive equal pay with men.”  “All workers and beneficiaries have the right to a living income, and to time with our families.”

“We need social welfare, not corporate welfare,”  said Ms Robin.  “We need fully funded quality  health and  education, decent jobs, and living incomes for those who are mothering, caring, or are sick.”  “Instead National wants to privatise health, education and welfare and cut public sector jobs.” “We need to stand up and fight this!”

Ms Robin said that the government was trying  save the falling  profits of the banks and corporates by driving down wages and benefits.”

“ The banks and the coroporates should pay for the economic crisis they created, not us” she said.   “It’s time we had a policies based upon social need, and not corporate greed.”

 

Waitemata Unite is calling holding a rally to protest the welfare changes on Tuesday 1^st May at 1pm at the Aotea Square, followed by a pram parade to WINZ, Upper Queen St at 1.30 pm, to hand out teddies to children.

Janet Robin
President
Waitemata Branch of Unite Union
c/- 0272800080

unitewaitemata@gmail.com

 

·       Source:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/27_Feb_Welfare_Reform_QandA.pdf
Sole Parent Support
This includes all those on the DPB and Widow’s Benefits with children under 14.Those receiving Sole Parent Support will be expected to look for part-time work when
their child is five years old and full-time when their child reaches the age of 14.
Those who have an additional child while on benefit will be exempted from work
expectations for 12 months, in line with parental leave provisions. Work obligations will
then revert to the age of the youngest child when the parent went on benefit.
For example, a beneficiary with a seven year old, who has another child, will return to a
part-time work expectation when their newborn turns one. A sole parent of a fourteen
year old who has another child will return to a full-time work expectation after one year.

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·       Waitemata Branch of Unite Union

·       waitemataunite.blogspot.com

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1ST MAY, WELFARE PROTEST 1PM AOTEA SQUARE 1.30 PARADE TO WINZ

Welfare Rights are Under Attack!

Stand Up Fight Back!

Stop National’s Attacks upon Mothers and Babies,

Older Women and Youth!

No to the Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill 

Whilst unemployment sours; the government wants to force beneficiaries to compete with workers for

non-existent paid jobs on a “Job Seeker Allowance.” Only a tiny number of Invalids Beneficiaries will be exempt. Youth will get hardly any money, and instead will only have a card with which to buy permitted groceries. Even young parents will have no control over their money. Older women living alone, and widows, will now be forced onto the labour market bringing down wages. Single mothers, who are already doing the most important work of all, will be torn from their children and babies and forced to look for full or part time work.  Mothers with babies as young as one could be forced to work full time!  

The Government wants to privatise welfare which will allow private companies to make big profits out of the poor! This must stop! Mothering is work! Beneficiaries and workers have a right to a

living income and to time with our families!

May Day Pram Parade

Celebrating the Work of Mothers,

Tuesday 1^st May, 2012 , International Workers Day

1pm : Assemble Aotea Square, Queen St

1.30pm Pram and Push Chair Parade

to WINZ, 450 Upper Queen St

At WINZ we will hand out  teddies and soft toys to children

Bring your prams, push chairs, toys and children!

Social Welfare not Corporate Welfare!

 Don’t separate mothers from children!

 No Privatisation of Welfare! Living Benefits Now!
unitewaitemata@gmail.com

     8369104   0272800080

Lively protest and march from WINZ to Bennett's Office, Wednesday

Unite Waitemata members and friends gathered with banners and placards ;  and handed out  leaflets  at Henderson WINZ on Wednesday;  about the new legislation attacking mothers, older women, and youth.  Several beneficiaries  expressed great interest and joined our union on the spot!  Then we marched to Paula Bennett's Office up the road.   Again we met with great public support, including from a wharfie who promised us support from wharfies, on  our May Day March for  Single Mothers Rights.

(Wharfies are at present in a life and death struggle against scab labour,  corporatisation and privatisation down at the waterfront! Everybody needs to get down there immediately to support them!!)

Remember everyone- our next big protest about the welfare cuts will be on May 1st-May Day!

Social Security Amendment Bill (Youth Support and Work Focus) Introduced

Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2012/0010/latest/DLM4360211.html

Protest 1 May, 1pm, Aotea Square, 1.30pm Pram Parade to WINZ Queen St

Welfare Rights are Under Attack!

Stand Up Fight Back!

             Stop National’s Attacks upon Mothers and Babies, 

                                          Older Women and Youth!

Stop National passing the Social Security Amendment Bill !

May Day Pram Parade

Celebrating the Work of Mothers,

Tuesday 1^st May, 2012 , International Workers Day

1pm : Assemble Aotea Square, Queen St

1.30pm Pram and Push Chair Parade

to  WINZ,  Upper Queen St

Occupy WINZ and hand out  teddies and soft toys to children

Bring your prams, push chairs, toys and children!

Social Welfare not Corporate Welfare! Don’t separate mothers from children!

Living Benefits Now!

unitewaitemata@gmail.com     8369104   0272800080