Unite Union is not affiliated to any political party. However we have always supported our members voting for parties based on whether they can be considered “worker friendly” in their policies.

Based on their record in office this past three years we encourage a vote against the National-led government and look at alternatives which serve the majority and not the rich.

Let’s look at what Key’s National-led government has done to ordinary working people and the poor:

- Further restriction on union access to workplaces

- The 90-day workplace fire-at-will legislation

- Employer able to request medical cert. for only one day sick leave

- Less chance of reinstatement where unjustified dismissal proven

- Massive tax cuts for the rich

- GST increase most affecting low income-earners

- Negative changes to Working for Families tax rebates

- Minimum wage increases significantly smaller

- Wage increases below inflation

- Cuts to Early Childhood Education funding

- Cuts to adult education services

- Cuts to community law services

- Tougher criteria for vulnerable benefit-receivers

- Introduction of Voluntary Student Union membership

- Encroachments on Local government democracy

- Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement removing our say on trade

- Reintroduced the possibility of youth wages

National has also made it clear that if elected it will sell off assets and introduce even more anti-union laws.

As well as rethinking and re-establishing concepts of fighting trade unionism for the betterment of the position of working people, we need to look at political alternatives. Voting in this election we need to make sure it is for a party that supports ideas like getting rid of GST, increasing the minimum wage to the level that it becomes a Living Wage, general wage increases above inflation, guaranteed full employment, and a reversal of other neo-liberal policies that have hurt working people for the last 25 years.

Some Unite members and officials are supporters or candidates of parties like Mana, The Greens and Labour. To varying degrees all those parties support policies which we as a union want to see implemented. We wish them all well in the elections. We will use the election period to explain the policies of these parties so our members can make the wisest choice for them and their families. No union resources will be used to support a particular party and any time spent on the election by officials will be taken as leave.

Authorised by Mike Treen, Unite Union, 6A Western Springs Road, Morningside