‘
We’ll need to go on strike, an ongoing strike.’ That’s how Jane Otuafi, a delegate in the Engineers’ Union, responded in March 1991 to the recently elected National government’s plan for an Employment Contracts Act. ‘A general strike is the only answer,’ job delegate Sa Leutele of the Northern Distribution Union agreed. ‘I’ve had several meetings to explain to the boys that the only way we can fight is to stick together. Otherwise nobody will survive after the Bill.’
But they didn't have a general strike of all workers, state and private. The public unions in real effect, laid down and died. And then the employers picked us off. All over the country union delegates were made redundant or dismissed, one way or another.
I was an early casualty of the ECA. I worked for South Pacific Tyres in the Hutt Valley and was a union delegate. We knew what was coming and that the distribution centre would be 'reorganised'. Two of us in the despatch were in effect made redundant and compensated. An outside contracting company came into the despatch area and provided the two despatchers, one of whom was my colleague made redundant the day before. He was offered one of the jobs at reduced wages. The private company despatched and distributed the tyres that had been despatched by South Pacific Tyres previously. No dear reader, they didn't offer me a job.LOL. I was the sacrificial lamb! You could say they sold my job under me?
I was unemployed for three years and eventually found a job at Seaview in Lower Hutt, with the Hutt City Council's Waterworks and later their drainage departments. After four years I was made redundant again, as the Hutt City Council decided to privatise their various works departments. That was at the end of the 20th century in 1999.
This is the first time I have burst into print, now twenty six years later and long retired.
In 1992 after the Christmas/ New Year's break I worked part-time for my old Wellington Stores Union just visiting members. As I moved around the traps in the Wellington region, I discovered our members had been 'encouraged' by employers to transfer to the main union on site, or had been poached by bigger unions such as the Engineers Union. I had been told this by our union organiser. I expressed my opinion in my usual straight forward manner. He was a loose-lipped character and told one of them what I had said. He threatened me with violence, and I told our organiser to tell him to bring it on! Of course it never happened!
The Clark Labour Government promised to repel the ECA legislation, but they never did. The Employment Relations Act was ECA-lite. The next Andrew Little-led government will have to introduce some real employment law reform. New Zealand is in a hell of a state and well on the way to fascism.
https://iso.org.nz/2016/02/23/defeat-the-bill-the-struggle-against-the-employment-contracts-bill-1991/
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/unions-and-employee-organisations
https://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/1997/10/the_economic_impact_of_the_employment_contracts_act/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/9696643/Are-unions-a-good-deal-for-workers
Memories:
But they didn't have a general strike of all workers, state and private. The public unions in real effect, laid down and died. And then the employers picked us off. All over the country union delegates were made redundant or dismissed, one way or another.
I was an early casualty of the ECA. I worked for South Pacific Tyres in the Hutt Valley and was a union delegate. We knew what was coming and that the distribution centre would be 'reorganised'. Two of us in the despatch were in effect made redundant and compensated. An outside contracting company came into the despatch area and provided the two despatchers, one of whom was my colleague made redundant the day before. He was offered one of the jobs at reduced wages. The private company despatched and distributed the tyres that had been despatched by South Pacific Tyres previously. No dear reader, they didn't offer me a job.LOL. I was the sacrificial lamb! You could say they sold my job under me?
I was unemployed for three years and eventually found a job at Seaview in Lower Hutt, with the Hutt City Council's Waterworks and later their drainage departments. After four years I was made redundant again, as the Hutt City Council decided to privatise their various works departments. That was at the end of the 20th century in 1999.
This is the first time I have burst into print, now twenty six years later and long retired.
In 1992 after the Christmas/ New Year's break I worked part-time for my old Wellington Stores Union just visiting members. As I moved around the traps in the Wellington region, I discovered our members had been 'encouraged' by employers to transfer to the main union on site, or had been poached by bigger unions such as the Engineers Union. I had been told this by our union organiser. I expressed my opinion in my usual straight forward manner. He was a loose-lipped character and told one of them what I had said. He threatened me with violence, and I told our organiser to tell him to bring it on! Of course it never happened!
The Clark Labour Government promised to repel the ECA legislation, but they never did. The Employment Relations Act was ECA-lite. The next Andrew Little-led government will have to introduce some real employment law reform. New Zealand is in a hell of a state and well on the way to fascism.
https://iso.org.nz/2016/02/23/defeat-the-bill-the-struggle-against-the-employment-contracts-bill-1991/
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/unions-and-employee-organisations
https://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/1997/10/the_economic_impact_of_the_employment_contracts_act/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/9696643/Are-unions-a-good-deal-for-workers
God dammit, Pete, it breaks my heart to read this. Those bastards, those utter and complete bastards! (And I'm not talking about the bosses.)
ReplyDeleteHuman weaknesses.? I've kept quiet for a long time waiting for an opportunity. Gives you another side to read and write about. Maybe that was the affect of neoliberalism on the individual?
DeleteGood post Pete. I know exactly what you are saying here having experienced it too.
ReplyDeleteThe Unions sold out and sold their souls to the devil.
Thanks for your comments. Hope it makes both of us better discussing it.
DeleteIt was a truly gut-wrenching time. It's taken me a long time to work through what happened: how we could have at done down fighting. As the old saying goes, better to die on your feet then live on your knees.
ReplyDeleteI've given up on being angry with Douglas et al. I just know we have to regain all the ground we gave away. And that's why Im stoked with Kristine Bartlett and the team. May they begin the long march back to dignity for workers!
The anger goes, but a deep disappointment that unionists weren't able to really protest,remains. Andrew Little must initiate employment law reform. We will never have compulsory unionism again, but things have to change - neoliberalism has totally failed and must be replaced with a different economic system.
Delete