And they claim they're in it for the workers.
They care about workers' pay and conditions so much, they're worked their way up the union ranks to help those at the bottom.
But then once they get a bit of profile. They jump ship to the Labour party, their good mates.
Craif Rennie - flits between the CTU and Grant Robertson's office - has been selected to run in Wellington Bays.
Fleur Fitzsimons - who tried but failed to get elected for Labour. She's surely trying to weasel her way back on to a list.
Michael Wood - he wants back in.
You see, Unions are simply not the premiere league. They're the equivalent of the bench for Labour's caucus.
It's the place you go to keep your profile up while you wait for another turn at sucking from the public tit.
There's nothing particularly wrong with this.
But if you're a low-wage worker who believes these people are your champions and are in for you. For negotiating hard with your employers. For doing the mahi.
And then you realise, actually, they've just been using your plight to feather their nest at the beehive, wouldn't you be a bit pissed off?
Not all union members are Lefties. Sure, many of them are.
But most just want a fair deal and decent spokesperson.
Not a bunch of political wannabes doing dress ups waiting for their time in the national spotlight.
Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
Craig Rennie joins a long line of Brits coming over here, bringing all their English working class prejudices with them, and telling us how to run the country. As a Labour candidate for the NZ Parliament I wonder if Rennie has demonstrated his commitment to New Zealand by giving up his foreign British citizenship. Somehow I doubt it.
Take Mick Lynch, widely regarded as a strong and effective leader, especially in his role as the General Secretary of Britain's National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). He rose to national prominence through his articulate, assertive, and no-nonsense defense of workers' rights during major rail strikes, earning him praise as a "working-class hero" and a "folk hero" for his clear and forceful representation of his members' interests. His leadership style is characterised by directness, confidence, and the ability to connect with and galvanise support from both union members and the wider public.
Lynch's leadership during the summer of 2022 strikes, in particular, demonstrated his capacity to turn specific industrial grievances into a broader movement advocating for social justice and economic fairness. He has been praised for his quick wit, straightforward communication, and resilience under media scrutiny. Polling indicated a roughly equal split between favorable and unfavorable opinions, which is notable given the frequent negative framing of union leaders in the media. His tenure has inspired a renewed sense of strength and confidence among workers and the labour movement more broadly.
Unions - [quote} - "And they claim they're in it for the workers" [end quote].
Yup, right - a Socialist mantra from away back.
Ryan - get Michael Woods on your Radio / podcast show and ask him -
- What does a Union actually do for the worker ??
- of all the Union Fees collected, where doe the money go??
- How many times does a Union harass Business & management
- and when Union Members are elected to Parliament, what is your Manifesto for New Zealand & the rest of the people??
You mention two names in your article - both should be nowhere near the seat of Government, one - showed His inability to be an effective Minister of the Crown.
The other is a "loud mouth" shrill.
Both will try to gain traction to become List MP's, they need to consult Willie Jackson on how to achieve that. Yup, prior to Ardern's rise to "fame", Jackson came back in from the "cold", was an amazing return to the fold, one that had told him to ....!!
If they stand in an electorate - well hopefully the "sane" people those domains - have the tenacity to say "Nah".
I'm not in my work union. I have seen the rep who comes in for union meetings at the free palestine protests in the auckland cbd, holding a socialists for aotearoa flag. People like him use workers as useful idiots.
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