UNION TOP BRASS BETRAY WORKERS AGAIN

Since the 'Job Summit' CTU president Helen Kelly has had two meetings with Social Development Minister Paula Bennett and Education Minister Anne Tolley to discuss the proposed nine day fortnight. Also present at the meetings was Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe who in recent years, has been busy not only sacking Air New Zealand workers but also -with the cooperation of Andrew Little and Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) - reducing the wages and working conditions of the remaining workers.

Kelly said after the Jobs Summit that subsidising the lost day's pay was vital.

"Without it, it's very unlikely that workers will be able to participate in it because they just won't be able to afford to lose a whole day's pay,"

Well, now it appears that the unfortunate workers who are targeted won't be losing 'a whole day's pay' but they will be forced on to a 'government allowance' which which will see them recieving perhaps no more than minimum wage rates.

On first glance, it looks like a five percent wage cut. Meanwhile, the cost of livng continues to escalate.

The Government says that this scheme is likely to target the larger unionised firms, such as manufacturers.

So the big question is: What will the trade union top brass do?. Will the CTU and EPMU hierarchy sell out their members and accept the wage cut or will they do the right thing and mount a fightback?

No prizes for guessing what they plan to do. Little and co will attempt to sell the wage cut as the 'only way to save jobs'.

The loathsome Andrew Little played a major role in putting together this lousy proposal.

The new Labour Party president has the backing of his leader Phil Goff. His only response has been to say that it is 'appropriate for the Government to provide some sort of allowance.' Could he be any more pathetic?

Andrew Little and his fellow well-paid trade union bureaucrats aren't planning to take a wage cut themselves however.