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Monday, December 10, 2012

Absolutely Positively Union Busting



The hatred for the Union movement sits deep in the heart of Wellington now it's the home of Muddle Earth. Wellington's need to worship Peter Jackson's corporate interests are understandable because Wellington finally gets noticed once every 4 years when a movie gets released.

There should be no surprises then that Muddle Earth must at all times repeat the mantra that Actors Equity almost cost us the blessed opportunity to give Warner Bros over $120million in corporate subsidies and that anyone associated with the union must be vilified the way Helen Kelly and Robyn Malcolm were at the hight of the manufactured crisis at the Hobbit...

Being fired for union membership is disgraceful
The story today that Vice President of Equity Todd Rippon was dismissed by a Lord of the Rings tour guide for being a union official in the union Actors Equity, is something the Prime Minister, including in his capacity as Tourism Minister, needs to take responsibility for, CTU President Helen Kelly said.

“Not only has John Key personally made it clear to employers in the entertainment industry that the Government will back them to undermine the rights of workers to join unions but he and his Ministers have made such derogatory and misleading statements about this union in particular, that the industry and those associated with it, appear to feel free to bully anyone that has a different point of view.”

Helen Kelly, CTU President says that losing your job for being a union member is illegal and unfair, and she is deeply concerned at the involvement of Positively Wellington in the process.


...how charming of Absolutely Positive Wellington, having union members fired for being union members.

How 1950s of Wellington.

Peter Jackson makes great movies and projects a wonderful image of NZs creativity, but the way he has union busted, had our labour law rewritten for foreign corporates and misled the public when his private emails show it wasn't Actors Equity who were the problem means his place in history will be far less shiny than his Academy Awards.

If all the work Jackson and Wellington have done to put NZ on the film making map is dependent on paying lower wages than Ireland, then they've both let the country down and their own aspirations.

There's no point celebrating Middle Earth when you are paid like a hobbit.

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1 Comments:

At 11/12/12 1:56 pm, Blogger Tim said...

Yep! unfortunately the Mayor is "part-time" Green too. Principle comes second to politics - still, that's the nature of things these days.
We should maybe have a referendum - whether or not to hand over the Miramar Penninsula and parts of Courtenay at Preeemyear time to Weta Stooooodyoes. (I can arrange the professional musicians to provide the fanfare just as long as Petee doesn't mind them hoiking and muttering under their breathe in an inconspicuous kind of way).
After all, he, Weta et al are SUCH good corporate citizens and philanthropists ain't they?
Besides, they look so gorgeous strutting their stuff and Mal and Scott get a roaring trade when it all comes to pass.
It's "win win"; it "puts us on the map"; it provides us with a reason for living! It's STILL Absolutely Positively Gorgeously Chris-Parkinly, Kerry-PrenderGhastly WELLINGTON. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for that! I had other reasons but I now see the error of my ways.

 

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