Fired Up for Workers’ Rights
Since February socialists have been following the activity of Fired Up Stilettos (FUS), a group of dancers who have been “kicking up a FUS” ever since they were unfairly sacked from Calendar Girls strip club in Wellington. Braving the possible repercussions, FUS have been blowing the whistle on unscrupulous practices in adult entertainment and agitating […]
Labour and Greens’ Inaction on Climate Change
Image: Forestry slash and flooding near Gisborne. Photo courtesy of Gisborne City Council. The Labour Party and the Green Party have had a Cooperation Agreement for the current Parliament. Under the agreement the Greens got two ministers, both outside Cabinet. James Shaw continued as Minister of Climate Change, a post he held in the 2017-2020 […]
Outrageous Treatment of Private Sector Blood Test Workers – Government Must Step In!
APEX union blood test technicians and scientists working for Awanui Labs, formerly SCL Labs, took strike action over the week Wednesday 12 July to Tuesday 18 July, affecting labs from the Hawke’s Bay right to the south of the country. They are speaking out about Awanui’s incredulous offer of absolutely no increase in pay at […]
Actors and Writers on Strike: Solidarity and Class Consciousness
What’s Happening On May 2, 2023 more than 11,000 unionised screenwriters went on strike. In April, almost 98% of the membership of the Writers Guild of America (technically an umbrella of two unions) voted to go on strike if negotiations between them and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down. And […]
Fascism – What It Is and How to Fight It
This piece was originally presented as a public talk to the Whanganui-a-Tara branch of the ISO in July 2023. The audio of the talk is available on our Youtube channel. Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Te Whanganui-a-Tara tōku whenua tupu ko tōku kāinga hoki. Ko Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o Te Ika, rātou ko Te […]
‘Remember Stonewall’ rally: A Worker’s Perspective on Trans Rights and NZ Healthcare
The below piece was given as a speech at the Remember Stonewall rally on 1 July 2023 in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington Kia ora koutou, ko Serah tōku ingoa. I use she/her pronouns. I’m a member of the International Socialist organisation, and of Queer Endurance / Defiance. I’m queer, and I’m proud of my identity as […]
AUKUS, USA imperialism, China, and the new Cold War
The following was delivered as a speech at the International Socialist Organisation Aotearoa Public Political Education Day on the 3rd of June 2023. A recorded version of the speech is also available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NphmmejJCpg While considering the strands of events in the greater Pacific region, this material will not be engaging in […]
$355 Million for Tertiary Sector Reappropriated
Lower enrolment rates saw money syphoned away from unis The below article was originally published in University of Otago student magazine ‘Critic Te Arohi’ and is republished here with permission. Otago Uni Associate Professor Brian Roper claims that $355 million budgeted towards tertiary education is going unspent. This is enough money to bail out Otago, […]
Students Against Cuts – Statement of Support
A statement from the Victoria University International Socialist Club, the VUW club of the International Socialist Organisation. This week the Victoria University International Socialist Club has come together with other student groups to help launch the campaign group Students Against Staff Cuts (SAC). The Labour government needs to fund universities adequately. These institutions are not […]
Fight for the Right to Strike: Nurses Win Against Labour
Te Whatu Ora, under Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall, failed in its bid to get an Employment Court decision that an impending strike by NZNO nurses would be unlawful. The Court’s rejection of the Ministry’s application for an injunction enabled a lawful strike to go ahead on 24 May. Nurses and health care assistants […]
