Question 24: How does GST affect different income groups? GST – like all consumption taxes – is unequal in its impact. Because working people spend a higher proportion of their incomes they pay a higher percentage of their income on GST. CTU economist Bull Rosenberg looked at this in recent CTU Economic Bulletin. He writes: […]

By Matt McCarten, Sunday, May 19, 2013 Despite all the political and media posturing over Thursday’s Budget, nothing much really happened – again. For 14 years, five under Bill English and nine with Sir Michael Cullen, our Budgets have made most of us yawn (even though we nod sagely). Deep down I suspect you don’t […]

href=”http://unitenews.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/image001.jpg”> Dion reports on MayDay Concert 2013, held at the Regent on Broadway, Palmerston North, Saturday 4 May: The Kate Martin School of Dance from Levin, won the MayDay Cup in front of a 500 plus, enthusiatic and at times rowdy audience, enjoying the great diverse programme on offer. 16 young dancers performed three very […]

The unite union fight over their contract with McDonald’s has resulted in two knockdowns for the company in the first two weeks. But the struggle continues. McD’s delegates training day in March The fight began May 1 with a picket of the company’s flagship Queen Street store in Auckland that was subject to heavy-handed police […]

Police Promo button on McDonald’s register (top right). The commissioner of police has now instructed staff not to accept discounts which “cheapens the standards of New Zealand police.” Unite Union has written to McDonald’s seeking a reassurance that the company will no longer offer the discount to police officers. TV3 Video: http://www.3news.co.nz/Police-may-be-disciplined-for-discounted-food/tabid/370/articleID/298194/Default.aspx By Rachel Tiffen, […]

Lauren Voyce HR Manager McDonald’s NZ Hi Lauren, It has become clear from the media reports that the discounts being offered by McDonald’s are not approved by Police head office or the Minister of Police. Is the company concerned that they could be seen as encouraging police officers to break their code of conduct by […]

By Joe Carolan, Senior Fast Food Organiser, Auckland “Solidarity!” was the word we learned in the car parks and drive thru of Clendon McDonalds last night, as a staunch and successful union picket persuaded 80% of customers, both on foot and in car to turn around and shop elsewhere. So successful was the picket line […]

“Today’s Budget fails to address the huge social problemsof a crisis in jobs, low wages, increasing poverty and inequality that New Zealandcurrently faces. These problems have grown over the last five years, and this Budget doesn’t do enough to help solve them.” says Bill Rosenberg, Council of Trade Unions Economist. “The Budget should have been […]

Peter Marshall Commissioner of Police Police National Headquarters Wellington May 16,2013 Fax: +64 4 498 7400 Dear Sir, I am writing to discuss our union’s concerns over the discounts given to police staff by McDonald’s. We see an apparent contradiction between the official police policy; comments made in the past by police national headquarters; a […]

VIDEO: http://www.3news.co.nz/Police-accused-of-protecting-food-perk/tabid/309/articleID/297933/Default.aspx What began as a protest for more pay has morphed into a battle against cheap burgers. The Unite Union is accusing police of being heavy-handed to protect their perk of discounted fast food. Union national director Mike Treen says the officer in charge accused the protestors of “reducing the custom of McDonald’s”. “I said […]

The Government should review its priorities. Continuing high unemployment, much greater than its own forecasts, could do far more damage than taking longer to pay down debt. The Government debt is very low compared with other OECD countries but unemployment at 11th lowest is an embarrassment given our economy is now growing faster than all […]

In 2007 the national police HQ said they were trying to get McDonald’s to end their policy of giving free or discounted food to police staff. The February 11 NZ Herald reports: "Fast food restaurants give hefty discounts to police officers to encourage their presence in outlets as a form of cheap security. "The practice […]

Unite Union has charged the police of bias against them during recent pickets outside McDonald’s stores and asks if this is because they get at least a 50% discount off all meals at the fast food giant. "Union members have told us that they have been ordered to give the discount to police," says Unite […]

May 13, 2013 District Commander Superintendent Michael Clement District Headquarters Cnr Cook and Vincent Streets, Auckland. Fax: (09) 375 4650 Dear Mr Clement, I would like to raise a complaint regarding police behavior during recent pickets by our union outside McDonald’s stores in Auckland. In the past my relationships with police sent to protests or […]

See also the story in the Otago Daily Times: "Picketers ‘run over’ at McDonald’s" http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/256646/picketers-run-over-mcdonalds

Mike Treen (Unite National Director) speaks to May 10 picket outside Quay St McDonald’s and ask why police are wasting taxpayers money! McSecurity McStrike 10 May 2013 Joe Carolan and Kerry Speak Out McStrike! Patricia From The Meatworkers Union Australia speaks out! Sean Bailey Speaks Out: "Discrimination has to stop"

(Reprinted from the Socialist Aotearoa website) http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/mcstrike-protest-report-and-photos.html Last night on Friday 10th May, McDonalds workers and their supporters held a picket outside the Britomart McDonalds store. Striking workers were joined by members of the Mana movement, university students, Socialist Aotearoa and the Meat Workers Union of Australia! A group of about 30 people created a […]

By Matt McCarten, Sunday May 12, 2013 Aaron Gilmore’s blunder hijacked National’s media time. Photo / Getty Images By the law of averages, in any representative democracy a few narcissists will be elected. In the parliamentary world, the laziest ignoramus can get paid three times the average wage – and be fawned over – for no […]

By Matt McCarten Sunday May 5, 2013 Demonstrators cheers as they parade down Broadway during a May Day march in New York. Photo / AP Last Wednesday was International Workers’ Day. May 1 is when workers around the world take to the streets to celebrate rights won on their behalf. In New Zealand, we focus our […]