Worker rights

Kiwi workers fare better than their Aussie counterparts, at least according to the ITUC.

The International Trade Union Confederation has come out with a new ranking, showing which countries' workers are most likely to experience rights violations. I'll disagree with the ITUC on some aspects of this: I don't believe that is consistent with any reasonable notion of rights to make it illegal for an employer to hire replacement workers during a strike, for example, and I'm not sure whether that counts as interference in strike action in their survey. But we'll agree entirely on others: freedom of expression is good, disappearance of trade unionists is bad, violence against workers or unionists is bad, and restrictions on freedom of movement are bad.

Countries are ranked 1-5, with countries ranked "1" experiencing only irregular violation of worker rights, "2" having slightly weaker collective labour rights than "1", "3" experiencing regular violations of rights, and so on.

Australia ranks a "3" on their scale; New Zealand gets a "2". Top scores to Barbados, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, and a few others.

I'd always had the impression that the trade union movement here was weaker than that in Australia. Australia's national awards system has no counterpart in New Zealand. And yet the big international trade union body put New Zealand ahead of Oz.

If New Zealand weren't clipped from their map (I hate it when folks do this), it would show up as the same colour as Ireland: a shade lighter than Oz. Remember this the next time the Council of Trade Unions talks about how terrible things are in New Zealand: NZCTU is an ITUC affiliate.

Update: I'm not sure how much weight we should put on any of these figures. Is it plausible that it's better to be a union leader in South Africa than in the United States? That Russia is friendlier than Canada? That Venezuela and Australia are on par with each other? Some of the big picture stuff looks ok: Europe is generally more pro-union than Canada, which is more pro-union than the US. But so much else looks to be out-of-whack; I expect it's better explained by pandering to Union-affiliated political parties in third world countries than by any real on-the-ground experienced differences in workers' rights. 

Drug dealers and the minimum wage

Steve Levitt demonstrated that low-ranking Chicago gang members earned less than minimum wage. Why did they get involved? In hopes of moving up the food chain. Tournament games invite excess investment.

I wonder whether New Zealand meth dealers also earn less than minimum wage.

Sharna Butcher was sentenced today for conspiring to sell methamphetamine. She is also the Unite Union South Island organiser. Here's 3 News:

Ms Butcher is well-known around the South Island, having both organised and attended several protests across this year. She attracted media attention in May after blocking the drive through to a McDonald's restaurant in Dunedin while lobbying for better pay rates and guaranteed hours for workers.

Do meth dealers earn a living wage? What are their hours like?

Do unions pay so little that their organisers are forced to deal drugs to make ends meet?

I think we need a Campbell Live investigation of working conditions for those working for the unions.

Bloody Friday

Saturday mornings, I cook pancakes. While cooking pancakes, I listen to Duncan Smith and Susan Murray's Country Life programme on Radio New Zealand (as do all good Kiwis). It's often a wonderful celebration of rural entrepreneurship.

I had never heard of Bloody Friday. And so I last week learned something new.

Friday, 9 June, 1978: 300 farmers released 1300 ewes onto the streets of Invercargill, herded them through the streets, then slaughtered them right there to the surprise of onlookers.

The Meatworkers' Union had made it impossible for the farmers to get their stock to slaughter. Sheep were starving in the paddocks because the feed had run out; the farmers had planned on getting their stock to market rather earlier.

Country Life interviewed Syd Slee about it. You can listen here. I especially liked the part where the police van showed up. The protesters expected they were going to be arrested. Listen in to hear what happened instead.

I was reminded of this interview when Jaime Lee-Ross's private member's bill was drawn from the ballot. His bill makes it easier for employers to hire replacement workers in case of strike. Here's Farrar on the bill; here's Cresswell.

I support the bill, and especially if we could have it apply retrospectively to 1978 when it would have done the most good. I'm a bit puzzled about the point given that New Zealand doesn't really have closed shop any longer - we don't lose that many days to strike action any longer. 2011 had the lowest number of stoppages since they started counting in 1986; I can't find more recent numbers quickly. And the Bill will do a great job of mobilising Labour's base to get out the vote. It the game worth the candle?