LET THEM EAT CAKE!

Spare a thought for the 186 redundant Lane Walker Rudkin workers, now out of the spotlight with the corporate media moving on to other more important matters - like the opening of the ski season and Susan Boyd.

As well as losing their jobs at a time when unemployment is rocketing, none of the workers have received the holiday and redundancy pay that is due them.

The National Distribution Union's (NDU) appeal to the Government and Westpac to help out the sacked workers has, predictably, fallen on deaf ears.

The NDU's response has been simply appalling.

Seemingly incapable of flexing any industrial muscle at all, its pathetic response has been to organise cake stalls to raise funds 'to help the workers help each other', - or so claims NDU national secretary Laila Harre. Harre herself is on a very high five figure salary.

On the Facebook site set up to coordinate the cake stalls, Harre -who thought up the hopeless idea - hails every dollar raised as if it's a great worker victory.

Harre writes: on May 18: 'Well done Christchurch - thanks to the supporters who weathered the gathering storm to raise $338 at the cake stall.'

Then on May 24 she writes : 'Thanks to bakers and buyers for helping raise nearly $700 in Auckland today - great support from the hikoi.'

'Nicholas' responds: '$735.20 to be precise, every little cent counts.'

I'm not sure if 'Nicholas' is lampooning the ludicrous cake stalls or is, disturbingly, being absolutely serious.

There have been no further entries on the Facebook site.

Meanwhile the Labour propaganda blog, otherwise known as The Standard, having initially embraced the cake stalls as 'a great idea' hasn't mentioned them since.