Welfare Reforms Protested at Minister's Office

On Thursday the Minister of Social Welfare, Paula Bennett, held  another public meeting at her electorate office in Henderson. Anticipating the rage felt by beneficiaries hit by her 'reforms' which have seen most classes of welfare benefit replaced by a single 'job-seeker allowance' she felt it necessary to seek protection with a large contingent of police, who indeed outnumbered the protesters summoned by Waitemata Unite branch.

Branch members leafletted fairly intensively at West Auckland WINZ offices to advertise the protest, and all but a few who took the leaflet expressed pleasure at receiving it.

Biggest Child Abuser is the Government. Hone Harawira

Hone Harawira, MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Wednesday

14 August 2013

"Absolutely we need to be doing all we can to keep our children safe from abuse and neglect", says Hone Harawira, Leader of MANA and MP for Te Tai Tokerau. "But I want the government put on notice to stop their abuse and neglect of kids and whānau too".

"All the evidence tells us that for kids to grow up safe and well they need a decent house, whānau with a decent income and a job, and a decent doctor they can go to for free. And yet this government is more than happy to go in the complete opposite direction - doing all they can to kick whānau out of state housing onto the street, kick people off benefits into non-existent jobs, and set up doctors as new extended WINZ offices to continue the harassment.

"Getting tough on families without providing them with the means and capability of being a good parent is abuse in my books: you're setting them up to fail, and then waiting to clobber them when they do.

"Investing in our kids, and in those families who are struggling, has already been proven around the world as the way to go to improve child safety, health and wellbeing, and to give them the best of chance of making something of themselves. Any government who chooses to ignore this fact chooses to be a perpetrator alongside abusive individuals who harm, kill, and damage children.

"Paula Bennett, John Key, Hekia Parata, Nick Smith, Steven Joyce - you're all on notice".

Protest Bennett's Work Cure, 5.45 Thursday 15th August 429 Great North Rd Henderson.

Is Work Always “Good for You?”

Beware! This Model Could Harm Your Health!

Press Statement by Unite Waitemata Branch

14 August 2013

Unite Waitemata and supporters are holding a protest against the welfare reforms outside Paula Bennett’s Office at 429 Great North Rd,  Henderson at 5.45 pm Thursday 15^th August

 “Paula Bennett and Work and Income are touting the new mantra :“work is good for you” , says Janet Robin, President of Unite Waitemata, which is a branch of the Unite Union.

“Dr Bratt, WINZ Principle Health Advisor is training WINZ designated doctors to believe that being on a benefit is an addiction, and the best cure is work.

she  said.

“WINZ Regional Health and Disability Advisors  (many of whom lack medical expertise) are being taught the same thing.”

“  Family doctors are also being pressured to take this approach when they do the beneficiaries’ “work capacity assessments “.

“The result is harsh treatment of beneficiaries who are seriously ill and need rest and support. Instead they are pressured to look for work, and have to fight to get the support they need.  They may lose all or part of their benefit. This causes extreme stress and can seriously harm their health.”  

“In the UK, more than 30 people are dying every week, whilst appealing the government’s decision that they are “fit to work.” “

“This is the model that New Zealand is copying.  “

The UK model was brought to New Zealand by Prof Mansel Aylward.

Prof Aylward has spoken to Paula Bennett, and is an advisor to the Counties Manakau District Health Board.  He has influenced Dr Bratt, WINZ’s Principal Health Advisor.

“Medical practitioners, health centres, and designated doctors should beware of this approach, which seriously compromises their medical ethics.  They cannot put the patient’s health first, and at the same time be pushing their client into any kind of work, no matter how unsuitable.” said Ms Robin.

Prof Mansel Aylward’s approach is a corrupt version of the “Bio Psycho Social “ approach.    

“According to this version, illness is “all in your mind.” “

  UK academics, Mansel Aylward and  Gordon Waddell ,  were paid by the convicted fraudulent US insurance company Unum, to create this approach.  Unum wanted UK people to be afraid their government wouldn’t help them if they got sick, so they would buy insurance policies from Unum instead .

“There is no genuine, medical or scientific basis for this approach whatsoever”

said Ms Robin

“It defies any logic, common sense, or compassion to expect seriously ill people to compete on the labour market and work their guts out – and somehow “ get better” by doing this! “

“Of course it can be good for some people’s health to get work or participate in  other ways in their communities. But it needs to fit the person’s real health needs, skills and abilities.”

 

“The government plans to save itself more than a billion dollars by getting sick and disabled, and single parents, off benefits and onto the labour market.”

                                                                                                                           

“It is clear what WINZ’s priorities are.  They are not about helping people to get jobs that genuinely suit them.  They are not about helping people to get well, or raise their incomes.   They are not about creating jobs. They are not about meeting social needs.”

“WINZ’s priorities are about meeting employers’ needs. When large numbers of sick and disabled people compete with everyone else for scarce jobs, employers can lower wages to raise their profits. In addition a large number of private companies stand to make a lot of money training sick beneficiaries and trying to get them into work.  Others are already making profits from cheap subsidised, and even free labour provided by WINZ. This brings wages down still more. “

‘The “ benefit addiction” and “work is good for you “ approach, is a fraud. “ 

“It   promotes the false idea that the sick are just avoiding work, when they have real needs.    This stops other people from being supportive towards them. “

“We need to support each other.”

“Don’t let this divide us.”  

“Beneficiaries and workers, sick and well, need to Unite!

 for a living income for all!”

Issued by Janet Robin, President, Unite Waitemata.

Unite Waitemata contacts:

0272800080; 8369104

unitewaitemata@gmail.com

http://waitemataunite.blogspot.com

Let’s Get Waitakere Moving Without Paula Bennett

Interest is building in a protest against the welfare reforms,  at Paula Bennett’s Office, 429 Great North Rd, Henderson,  at 6.45 pm, Thursday 15 August  ; called by Unite Waitemata.

Paula Bennett will be addressing a public meeting about “Moving Waitakere Forward.”

“We think the best way for Waitakere to move forward is to remove Paula Bennett from office” said Janet Robin, President of Unite Waitemata, which is a branch of the Unite Union.

“Unite is a union for low paid workers and beneficiaries,” said Ms Robin.

“The real purpose of the benefit reforms is to make everybody compete on the labour market for scarce jobs, which will bring down wages.  This helps employers increase their falling profits.” said Ms Robin.

“That’s why workers and beneficiaries need to unite against benefit cuts and wage cuts.”

“The Government is more interested in corporate welfare than social welfare “, said Ms Robin.

“WINZ punitive sanctions for such small things as being five minutes late for an appointment, mean that many people are just giving up trying to get a benefit at all, which is what WINZ wants.” she said.

“The less people on the benefit; the more the government saves money.”

“The government is focussing on getting the sick and disabled, and single parents, off benefits, because that is where the biggest welfare budget is”, she said. 

“They plan to save more than  a billion dollars by taking benefits off single parents and the sick, who are the people who need them the most” she said.

“With no jobs out there, it is hypocritical and ridiculous to pretend that WINZ really wants to help people get jobs.”

 “If that is really their intention, why doesn’t the government create jobs?” she asked.

“Paula Bennett’s supposed caring for children suffering from violence is hypocritical when she is prepared to take half a benefit off a beneficiary family for something as trivial as not attending a doctor’s appointment.”

“This contravenes the United Nations Rights of the child,  for the necessities of life; as obviously a child cannot be supported on half a benefit.”

“The biggest hypocrisy of all is the fact the Paula Bennett was on the DPB, was helped to get a deposit for her first home,  and received a Training Incentive Allowance which helped her to study full time at tertiary level and eventually to get the career she now has.  Yet she has destroyed all these possibilities for other beneficiaries now.”

 For more information call

 Dave 0272800080

 Keith  09 8369104

or email

unitewaitemata@gmail.com

Begging to Beg

Unite Waitemata joined a protest  on 6th July against a proposed Council Ban on Begging outside Smith and Caugheys in Queen St Auckland.The Council , cheer-led by  former leftist councillor Mike Lee, is supporting calls from the heartless, rate- payer funded corporate body, "Heart of Auckland"; and  from  the  flash department store Smith and Caughey's who don't like beggars spoiling the view outside their  door.
It's not enough for the goverment to drive people and their families into destitution by sanctioning their benefits, leaving them with no income to feed their kids; now the Council wants to put the boot in by denying their human right to even beg!   Recent research in Australia shows that the majority of the homeless are single mothers with children.  Others may suffer illnesses, disabilities, or addictions.
If  starving people begging are deemed "offensive"  because they have made rich  people uncomfortable by looking too poor,  dirty, sick or untidy;  they could be fined or even imprisoned!

Communities Not Safe with Paula Bennett

Unite Waitemata and Auckland Action Against Poverty protested against Paula Bennett's"Safer Communities" meeting on 18th June. Two of our members who went inside were roughly expelled from the public meeting by police, one having a badly twisted harm- hardly an example of a "safe community!" Single parent families who don't get their kids to childcare,   and families of those who fail a drug test or  fail work tests are not "safe" when their benefits are halved or removed altogether! People with serious illnesses are not safe when they are forced off their sickness or invalids benefits by designated doctors to become "job seekers." Women forced to stay in violent relationships because they could not afford to leave are not "safe."

Join Now! Use this Membership Application Form

Join Waitemata Unite today! 

 Fight for the rights of the low paid, unemployed, and beneficiaries! 

We have different options for  branch membership

 according to what you can afford. 

We help all active members with problems with WINZ.

As a full Unite member you are entitled to many benefits including discounts,  cheap healthcare and free insurance.

 Copy /download the form, fill it in, put in an envelope, and either:

•  Post  to our Secretary, 16 Parrs Cross Rd, Henderson, 
• Email  in an attachment to unitewaitemata@gmail.com;
• Bring to a meeting, 11 am   the third Saturday of the month,  Avondale Community Centre, Rosebank Rd,  Auckland. 

    For more information

Tel/ Text Dave:  0272800080      Keith 8369104

  Email:  unitewaitemata@gmail.com

Welfare attacks published by WINZ. Coming into action in July.

Work and Income has published details of its latest welfare  attacks.

The three new categories are
Supported Living Payment
Sole Parent Support
Job Seeker.


The Invalids Benefit stays under a new name "Supported Living Payment." Invalids are still recognised as needing support, and are not work tested.
However  Work and Income is using designated doctors to get thousands of people off this benefit.
The sickness benefit has been abolished.  All sickness beneficiaries are classified as Job Seekers even though some of them obviously cannot work! Some will temporarily have exemptions from seeeking work, and others will be allowed to seek work at limited hours.
Single parents get "Sole Parent support" which requires many parents to have to be available for work, and even requires parents with babies as young as one years old to be available for full time work if they have another child aged fourteen or over!




Here are the links to the  WINZ posts:
http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/benefit-changes/index.html

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/benefit-changes/new-benefit-catagories.html#PartnersofpeoplereceivingJobseekerSupportandSupportedLivingPayment4

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/benefit-changes/moving-from-invalids-benefit-to-supported-living-payment.html

We have been campaigning against these attacks for years!!

We participated in a National Day of Action against these attacks last October:
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012_09_01_archive.html
See our press statement here:
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/why-we-support-national-day-of-action.html
See our submission here
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012_11_01_archive.html

May Day Protest 2012
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/motherhood-is-work-john-key-keep-your.html
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/may-day-mothers-protest-aotea-square.html

See the blog archive for other other protests and statements!

You can  also  get  more information about the welfare attacks by looking at our links column.

May Day Workers Day, Living Incomes for Paid and Unpaid Workers Now!

Unite Waitemata members at picket supporting workers' strike at  McDonalds Queen St.

On 1st May, International Workers Day, the government introduced Youth Rates which discriminate against workers on grounds of age, and further discriminate against youth who have previously been on benefits for six months.  Meanwhile many workers such as mothers and carers, work for no wage at all. The welfare changes place  the health and safety of many families in danger  from sanctions for failing work tests;  not using  childcare, or failing employer's drug tests.

Employed and Unemployed Unite for  a living income for all!

Stress and Violence

In its report on Julian Savea’s apology The Herald refers to eleven similar assaults committed by All Blacks in seven years, and quotes un-named “rugby bosses” as identifying the “pressures of the professional game” as a causative, if not an extenuating factor. It would be impolitic for some to agree with this. The government for instance, thinks it is O.K. to increase pressure on another larger group it has identified, or rather stigmatised, as being prone to domestic violence. Let’s now see them show consistency by intervening in the domestic affairs of All Blacksas well as beneficiaries.

Those celebrities who have fronted the It’s Not O.K. campaign should speak out on this issue,

Solidarity Actions in West and East Auckland against Sale of State Housing

 Ob Saturday 20th April, The  Day of Action Against  the  Sale of State Houses saw actions of  solidarity  in Glen Innes , Mt Albert and Sandringham.

 The Tamaki Housing Action Group Protested  a meeting  of developers and builders in Glen Innes.

The  "Creating Communities" group (alliance of builders and developers sponsored by Housing NZ) did a presentation in the primary school hall. The Tamaki Housing Group protested outside    with placards.  Some  went inside to challenge the developers and builders, and Housing New Zealand representatives,  and to ask questions.

In Mt Albert protesters  from Waitemata Unite, Mana, Auckland Action Against Poverty, and other supporters held a mock auction of Melissa Lee's office. The office was "sold"to a  homeless person for fifty cents. The protesters then went to Haverstock Rd in Sandringham, to protest the sale, destruction, and removal of state houses in that street. One block of land (now behind a huge fence) sold for more than $8 million dollars. 

The Mt Albert/ Sandringham protest was shown on Maori Television's Te Kaea that evening. To view the news item see" 

http://www.maoritelevision.com/tv/shows/te-kaea?utm_source=brightcove&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=share+this+video

Stop Removal of State Housing. Day of Action, Saturday 20th April