Collective bargaining is quickly approaching, and we need to establish with members what claims they would like to propose for bargaining.  You also will be aware that as an outcome of negotiations last year the Co-operative Bank and FIRST Union members agreed to a working group on pay parity. We  now have a proposal that came out of the working group, and members now need to vote on this.

The world has watched with horror as the Rana building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a total of 1,127 dying and a further 2,500 injured. Most of those were garment workers, paid a measly 14 US cents an hour and working for major multinational brands like Bennetton, the Children’s Place, Mango, Primark and Walmart.

The first half of the financial year has been very good to “Big Four” Australian-owned banks, which have turned in collective cash profits of $1.8 billion in the first half of the financial year. That equates to around $400 for every man, woman and child in New Zealand.

The Reserve Bank have just released their May 2013 Financial Stability Report, with  Governor Graeme Wheeler claiming that while the  country’s financial health is still sound, rising house prices and private sector credit pose a concern.