E tū President Muriel Tunoho at the Toitū te Tiriti march
The coalition of National, ACT, and New Zealand First have firmly established themselves as an anti-worker Government. They have already made many changes that have had negative impacts on people and services.
E tū was proud to march against the Government, and in support of te Tiriti and tangata whenua, on Budget Day at the end of May. E tū members including our President Muriel Tunoho joined tens of thousands across the motu to send the message that we are standing up and fighting back.
Muriel says it’s no surprise that civil society is rising up against the Government’s dangerous work programme.
“Even for a National-led Government, it has been shocking to watch this all unfold,” Muriel says.
“I think the combination of the three parties in Government has created a toxic mix. You have the National Party, who have always been committed to putting profits for their wealthy mates ahead of the needs of the people. New Zealand First and ACT are competing to win power in the coalition, and they’re doing so by tapping into the most reactionary positions they imagine.
“It all adds up to a divisive and destructive direction for Aotearoa. Our current ministers seem to relish taking any opportunities to punch down, making lives worse for vulnerable people and groups who need the most support. These are active choices they make every day.
“We need a government that brings people together, celebrating our differences and leading us forward into a better future for everyone. A government that understands Aotearoa can only thrive when we are looking after all of our people, our land, and our collective spirit.
Muriel says that despite the Government’s agenda, she is pleased to see many are seeing through it.
“The people out there know that this isn’t the way we do things. We’ve seen opinion polling that shows the public are already all too aware that this coalition isn’t they way forward for us. They’ve become the most unpopular government in MMP history, with many polls showing their own voters are already feeling let down.
“But you don’t need polls and data to really feel the mood out there in the community. There was an electric feeling on Budget Day, as we marched onto Parliament Grounds and across the motu as tangata whenua, standing up for ourselves and each other.
“The mobilisation of te ao Māori against this Government is an inspiring example of people being ready to come together to fight for a better future. Unions are our vehicle for mobilising the same energy to campaign and organise. Whether that’s winning decent work through collective agreement negotiations, or broad-base organising with our community allies, or directly lobbying people in Parliament to really listen to the people – we have power, and it’s our responsibility to use it.”
A lot of damage has already been done by the Government
They got rid of the Fair Pay Agreement laws quickly, which has meant lower wages and less say for workers like cleaners and security guards. This disadvantages vulnerable workers the most, who has lost a key opportunity to address poor pay and conditions across the workforce.
The Government also used urgency to bring back 90-day ‘fire at will’ trial periods for new jobs. This means people can be fired without a reason within the first three months, leading to less job security and pushing more people into insecure work. This decision was made against clear evidence that the idea simply doesn’t work.
The Government also reversed laws that would have increased benefits in line with wage growth, a decision which will result in an estimated 13,000 more children living in poverty. This has weakened the social safety net, leading to worse health and wellbeing outcomes for our most vulnerable communities, and continuing the cycle of poverty.
Cuts to WorkSafe, including losing 113 roles, mean more workplace deaths and less accountability for employers. There will be fewer workplace investigations, less safety, and high mortality rates in dangerous industries.
5,000 further public service jobs have been cut at time of writing, including in health, education, environment, and conservation sectors. This has caused major problems, like higher unemployment, a loss of accountability, less effective environmental protections, and a weaker public service that can’t tackle our society’s most pressing issues.
The Government is currently pushing through “Fast Track” legislation that allows major infrastructure projects to skip public scrutiny, which is dangerous. This policy lets companies bypass important environmental checks and public consultations.
They have cancelled public transport discounts for young people, cancelled free prescriptions. The latest Budget has given a $2.9 billion tax cut to landlords and includes other irresponsible tax cuts that gives much more to higher earners than lower earners. This shows their priorities, as landlords can evict tenants without cause and make more profit, while tax cuts will benefit the wealthiest New Zealanders the most, taking more money away from the poorest.
Finally, they have been trampling on te Tiriti o Waitangi, compromising the very foundation of Aotearoa and promoting a divisive and fundamentally nasty agenda. The Government’s ‘Treaty Principles Bill’ aims to undo decades of work for justice for tangata whenua. They stopped government departments being allowed to use their reo Māori names, disbanded the Māori Health Authority, and are trying to rob local councils of their democratic ability to introduce and maintain Māori wards.
