Publication information

Becoming a sustaining subscriber Table of

Subscriptions to Fightback are available for $16.50 a year, this covers the costs Contents of printing and postage. At present the writing, proof reading, layout, and 3 Editorial distribution is all done on a volun- 3 In brief teer basis. To make this publication sustainable long term we are asking for 4 Solidarity with Russian LGBT people to consider becoming ‘Sustain- movement: Neither Washington ing subscribers’ by pledging a monthly nor Moscow but international amount to Fightback (suggested $10). queer liberation! Sustaining subscribers will be send a 6 What would Adam Smith have free copy of each of our pamphlets to thought of neoliberalism? thank them for their extra support. The name of the magazine will change to 10 Leaflet: Stop the scab bills! Fightback, but current subscriptions Interview: The 15 year will remain unaltered. 11 old fighting back against To start your sustaining subscription McDonald’s set up an automatic payment to 38- 9002-0817250-00 with your name in 12 Fijian sugar workers face threats, the particulars and ‘Sustain’ in the code intimidation and email your name and address to 14 Student Debt: Reinforcing the [email protected] Logic of Capitalism 15 Coalition governments and real change Get Fightback each month 17 John Minto for Mayor: “We need a Kiwi socialism” Within NZ: $20 for one year (11 issues) 20 Grant Brookes for Capital and or $40 for two years (22 issues) Coast DHB Rest of the World: $40 for one year or $80 for two years 22 Witness to a revolution Send details and payments to: Fightback, PO Box 10282 Dominion Rd, Auckland or Bank transfer: 38-9002-0817250-01 Donations and bequeathments Fightback is non-profit and relies on financial support from progressive people, supporters and members for all its activities including producing this magazine. To financially support us please deposit to 38-9002-0817250-01 with your initials and surname (or anony- mous.) Large and small, regular and one-off donations are all appreciated and listed in Fightback from time to time. Fightback magazine is now in its 20th year as we continue the long-term fight for socialism. Readers and supporters may consider re- membering us in their will with assets or money that will help the struggle in the long-term. If this is you please put in your will ‘Fight- back, PO Box 10-282, Dominion Road, Auckland’ as well as what you would like to leave to us.

2 Fightback September 2013 Editorial

Welcome to the September 2013 issue About of Fightback. Fightback is a socialist organisation in Aotearoa/NZ, and this Fightback is our monthly magazine. With the 2013 local body elections Under our current system, democracy coming up, Fightback will be involved consists of a vote every 3 years. Most in electoral work alongside community of our lives are lived under dictator- struggles on the ground. ship, the dictatorship of bosses and Fightback does not believe socialism WINZ case managers. Fightback can be simply voted in, however elec- stands for a system in which our toral work combined with wider popular workplaces, our schools, our universi- struggles can play a role in socialist ties are run democratically, for social transformation. “In an article originally need rather than private profit. printed on the Daily Blog, Mike Treen Fightback participates in the MANA of Unite Union and the MANA Move- Movement, whose stated mission is ment discusses strategy for the 2014 to bring “rangatiratanga to the poor, general election (page 15-16). Editorial the powerless and the dispossessed.” Fightback supports the MANA Move- Capitalism was imposed in Aotearoa ment, which is standing candidates through colonisation, and the fight in the local body elections. Fightback for indigenous self-determination is writer Daphne Lawless interviews intimately connected with the fight John Minto, who is standing for Mayor for an egalitarian society. We also of Auckland on a MANA Movement maintain an independent Marxist ticket; (page 17-19) and Ian Anderson organisation outside of parliament, to interviews Grant Brookes, a Fightback offer a vision of a world beyond the member who is standing on a Health parliamentary capitalist system. First ticket endorsed by the MANA Fightback stands against all forms of Movement (page 20-21). oppression. We believe working-class power, the struggle of the majority for self-determination, is the basis for ending all forms of oppression. However, we also recognise that daily inequities such as sexism must be addressed here and now, not just after the revolution. Fightback is embedded in a range of struggles on the ground; including building a fighting trade union move- ment, movements for gender and sexual liberation, and anti-racism. Fightback also publishes a monthly magazine, and a website, to offer Coordinating Editor Layout: a socialist perspective on ongoing Byron Clark, Ian Joel Cosgrove struggles. Anderson Assisting Editors Monthly magazine published Fightback stands for struggle, soli- Proofing/Content Mike Kyriazopoulos, by: Fightback darity and socialism. Jared Phillips Kelly Pope, Daphne Fightback September 2013, Vol.1, No 7, Issue No 7 Lawless, Grant Brookes.

Fightback September 2013 3 Queer liberation

Solidarity with Russian LGBT movement: Neither Washington nor Moscow but international queer liberation!

by Ian Anderson, Fightback (Wellington). has documented this period in his work Putin regime clamp-down Homosexual Desire in Revolutionary Jumping forward nearly a century, it Russia. Healey argues that the removal wasn’t until the fall of the USSR in the Russia was arguably the first country to of sodomy from the 1922 Criminal early 1990s that gay relationships were legalise homosexuality. Code was no accident, but rather an at- again legalised. The current attack on In the ferment between the revolution tempt to “secularise” gender relations. queer rights, through both street vio- of 1905 and the revolution of 1917, lib- This was a period of debate. Medi- lence and anti-gay laws, is a case of ‘one eral reformers argued that homosexual- cal persecution and anti-gay attitudes step forward, two steps back.’ ity should be decriminalised. A number persisted, alongside struggles for gender After nearly a decade of both legal and of prominent men were open about liberation. their attraction to other men (as in most extra-legal violence, Russian President It wasn’t until 1933, with the consolida- countries, lesbianism was never strictly Vladimir Putin’s regime has introduced tion of the Stalinist bureaucracy, that illegal, although women attracted to laws forbidding ‘propaganda for homo- homosexuality was legally forbidden each-other were forced to pursue their sexuality,’ protecting ‘religious feeling’ again. This was connected to a project of desires privately). and scapegoating minorities as ‘foreign nation-building involving the reasser- agents.’ With the seizure of mass workers’ power tion of the nuclear family, prohibition of Vigilante gangs bait and assault queers, in 1917, the entire Criminal Code was abortion and other gendered restrictions. repealed. History was open to be writ- with tacit support from the government. This history is necessary to understand- ten through popular struggle and debate. Although the new laws theoretically ing the current struggle over Rus- After the Civil War and the formation target gay paedophiles, all gender non- sia’s anti-gay laws; it is not a clash of of a new defensive state, the new Crimi- conforming folk are targets. The gang ‘Western’ and ‘Russian’ values, but rather nal Code of 1922 removed the crime of torture and murder of a young gay teen- a more complex historical struggle of muzhelozhstvo (‘men lying with men.’) ager has received particular attention. oppression and liberation. Drawing from medical and legal litera- The Putin regime’s introduction of anti- ture of the time, historian Dan Healey gay laws is part of a more generalised

4 Fightback September 2013 Queer liberation

nation-building project. The growth of attention than abuses in countries fully nation; they will only if they are silent. violent fascist groups with tacit sup- backed by the US. We hope to join forces and succeed port for the government, strong links For example, while the abuses of Zim- in raising everyone’s voices for LGBT between the regime and the Russian babwe’s President Robert Mugabe are equality in Russia and elsewhere. We Orthodox Church, repression of pro- widely known, the vicious atrocities of hope that together with those who gressive social movements, attacks on US-backed oil baron Teodoro Obiang share this vision, we will succeed in ethnic minorities and queers, are all part (President of fellow African republic sending the strongest message pos- of a broad cultural assault. Equatorial Guinea) receive little atten- sible by involving athletes, diplomats, tion. sponsors, and spectators to show up and speak up, proclaiming equality in most No clash of civilisations Meanwhile, unsurprising cables released compelling ways.” by WikiLeaks revealed that in Europe, In endorsing the call to boycott the US agents pursued a deliberate strategy Previous attempts to boycott Olym- upcoming Winter Olympics in Rus- of highlighting women’s oppression in pic games – including Berlin in 1936, sia, British commentator Stephen Fry Afghanistan in the leadup to the war, in Moscow in 1980, and Los Angeles in argued that the “civilised world” could an attempt to win over European public 1984 – have proved largely ineffectual. not associate itself with homophobia. opinion. By contrast, the Black Power salute at Fry argued the Five Rings of the Olym- the 1968 Mexico Olympics resonated This is not to say that the visible oppres- pics would be “forever besmirched” by globally as part of a broader upsurge sion of Russian queers is a lie concocted endorsing homophobia. against imperialism, and remains an by Western conspiracy. However, we iconic, inspiring image. The last Winter Olympics, held in must be wary of any attempts to co-opt Vancouver, caused controversy because such struggles into a pro-US narrative. In recent days at the World Athletics it was held on stolen land. The 2012 Championship, two female Russian ath- Olympics, held in London, saw reports letes defied repression by kissing each- of prison-like conditions for staff. All International queer other on the podium. A Swedish athlete ‘civilisation’ requires some bloodshed. liberation caused controversy by painting her nails Although Fry’s references to the ‘civi- in rainbow colours. These actions must Russia’s LGBT movement is visible and lised world,’ and ‘civilisation’ are passing be supported and amplified. tenacious. Alongside images of brutal- phrases, these phrases reference a colo- The Queer Avengers, an activist group ised queers in Russia, images of public nial East-West, Clash of Civilisations in Aotearoa/NZ, contacted the Russian rainbow flags and protestors confront- narrative. In this narrative, the civilised LGBT Network informing them that ing vigilantes circulate globally. West must liberate the backwards East. QA planned to hold an action outside Western progressives must take a lead However, liberation of Russian queers the Russian embassy. Although the from the Russian LGBT movement. can only come through struggles in Network had discouraged international This is never a simple matter, as gay men Russia, not imposition from without. groups from an Olympics boycott, they in Russia do not agree on everything, let responded “It’s highly appreciated by us Barack Obama, current figurehead for alone agreeing with all lesbians, trans- – do it and be noisy!” US imperialism, recently snubbed Putin folk and queers combined. However, Tactics to confront repression can and for a one-on-one meeting. Obama there is a real movement in Russia with must be debated, and boycotts are worth cited the regime’s decision to house real voices, and we ignore those voices considering. The call for skepticism US whistle-blower, and now refugee, at our peril. Edward Snowden. about boycotts is not a call for inac- At the end of July, the Russian LGBT tion, but rather for action that amplifies, One liberal commentator bemoaned Network released a statement opposing stands in solidarity with, and considers that Obama mainly snubbed Putin over a boycott on the Russian Winter Olym- the specific situation of the existing human rights abuses in the US, rather pics. This Network reportedly combines LGBT movement in Russia. than human rights abuses in Russia. 13 regional branches and 10 regional Crucially, liberation for Russian queers However, those of us who stand with LGBT organisations, so it represents will come not through Russian adoption Russian queers must be wary of any significant forces on the ground. Instead of ‘Western’ or ‘civilised’ values. Libera- attempts to link their struggle with the of a boycott, the Network argued for tion can only come through the struggle pursuit of US imperialist power. visible opposition by participants: within Russia – and the global struggle It is worth noting that human rights “Participation and attendance of the acting in solidarity. abuses in countries that rival, or Games in Sochi will not indicate challenge, the US often receive more endorsement of injustice and discrimi-

Fightback September 2013 5 Queer liberation/Theory

Wellington event: ‘Beyond’ (discus- win for marriage rights, this confer- Broadly, the Saturday will be focused sion and action on gender and sexual ence aims to look beyond marriage on discussions of experience, identity diversity) towards an inclusive movement for and intersectionality, and the Sunday gender and sexual liberation. With a will be centred around skill sharing ‘Beyond’ is a weekend of discussion mixture of presentations, panels and and campaign work. Throughout the and action on gender and sexual workshops, the conference aims to weekend there will also be opportuni- diversity. Organised by the Queer address the lived experiences of queer/ ties for networking, informal discus- Avengers, the conference will be held trans people in relation to identity, sion and socialising. from the 11th-13th of October at race, disability, the media, healthcare, Wellington High School. Detailed schedule to come. Please see parenting, education and imprison- our website, beyond.org.nz, for more In the wake of the parliamentary ment (among others). information.

What would Adam Smith have thought of neoliberalism?

by Ciaran Doolin, Fightback. manufacturing and industry were only for a human creature to become.” in nascent development. Although he died before the industrial revolu- And he predicted that “in every im- Adam Smith was a Scottish Enlighten- tion reached its zenith, he foresaw the proved and civilised society this is the ment philosopher and is considered to monumental changes it would bring. state into which the labouring poor, that be one of the founders of the economics Criticising the division of labour, he is, the great body of the people, must discipline. His greatest work An En- wrote: necessarily fall unless government takes quiry into the Nature and Causes of the some pains to prevent it.” Alienating Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, “[T]he understandings of the practices such as the division of labour, argued the benefits of capitalist enter- greater part of men are necessarily he argued, would stifle productivity prise and market economy. The Chicago formed by their ordinary employ- growth and reduce efficiency: School-led resurgence of classical eco- ments. The man whose whole life is nomics drew heavily on Smith’s market spent in performing a few simple “It can never be the interest of the ideas. Their reading of Smith is, however, operations, of which the effects are unproductive class to oppress so selective that it’s likely if Smith were perhaps always the same, or very the other two classes. It is the alive today he would barely recognise nearly the same, has no occasion to surplus produce…what remains what they call free-market capitalism. exert his understanding or to ex- after deducting the maintenance… ercise his invention in finding out that maintains and employs the Smith and the early expedients for removing difficulties unproductive class. The greater this industrial revolution which never occur. He naturally surplus the greater must likewise loses, therefore, the habit of such be the maintenance and employ- Smith was writing in the early stages of exertion, and generally becomes as ment of that class. The establish- the industrial revolution when modern stupid and ignorant as it is possible ment of perfect justice, of perfect

6 Fightback September 2013 Theory

liberty, and of perfect equality is changes that were inimical to democ- Adam Smith understood what the pur- the very simple secret which most racy. The state sector, particularly the pose of a government without a social effectually secures the highest organisations responsible for maintain- role, unaccountable to the “stampeding degree of prosperity to all the three ing the welfare system, was gutted and masses”, would be: “Civil government, classes.” the sector restructured such that public so far as it is instituted for the secu- involvement and oversight of policy rity of property, is in reality instituted The last line here is crucial. Only under design and implementation was tightly for the defence of the rich against “perfect” conditions does a market constrained. During a parliamen- the poor, or of those who have some system, according to Smith, distribute tary debate early in the reform process, property against those who have none the benefits of wealth accumulation Richard Prebble, Roger Douglas’ leading at all.” Moreover, Smith also knew that equitably. Really existing capitalism has supporter in government, enunciated perfect justice, liberty and equality were never come remotely close to meeting the spirit of age: aspirations rather than a reality. There- this prerequisite, nor end. fore, in stark contrast to the neoliberals, The myth is that the democratic he argued in favour of the government The role of the State method is that institutional ar- acting as a shield for the people when rangement for arriving at political necessary: The politicians and technocrats who in- decisions which realises the com- stituted neoliberalism in New Zealand mon good by making the people The interest of the dealers…is during the 1980s were acutely aware decide for themselves. The reality is always in some respects different of the dual role a democracy could play the process of arriving at decisions from, and even opposite to, that of – as a servant to capital, if properly man- through a competitive struggle for the public. To widen the market aged and contained, or as a shield of the the people’s vote. Party politicians and to narrow the competition, is people, protecting them from the whims are the response to the fact that the always the interest of the dealers… of capital. With a view to diminishing electoral mass is incapable of action The proposal of any new law or the latter role, they implemented radical other than a stampede. regulation of commerce which

Fightback September 2013 7 Theory

comes from this order ought…nev- value, he intends only his own gain; alongside one another . . . It often er to be adopted till after having and he is in this, as in many other attempts directly, leaving out the been long and carefully examined, cases, led by an invisible hand to immediate links, to carry through not only with the most scrupulous, promote an end which was no part the reduction and prove that the but with the most suspicious at- of his intention. Nor is it always various forms are derived from one tention. It comes from an order of the worse for the society that it was and the same source. This is how- men whose interest is never exactly no part of it. By pursuing his own ever a necessary consequence of the same with that of the public, interest, he frequently promotes its analytical method, with which who have generally an interest that of the society more effectu- criticism and understanding must to deceive and even to oppress ally than when he really intends to begin. Classical economy is not the public, and who accordingly promote it. interested in elaborating how the have, upon many occasions, both various forms come into being, but deceived and oppressed it. In context, Smith argues for free-trade seeks to reduce them to their unity on the basis of a supposition that a bias by means of analysis, because it He even went so far as to call for pro- towards the home country of the traders starts from them as given premises. gressive taxation: “The subjects of every acts to prevent them from seeking out But analysis is the prerequisite of state ought to contribute towards the cheaper raw materials or more flexible genetical presentation and of the support of the government, as nearly as labour markets overseas. Globalisation understanding of the real, forma- possible, in proportion to their respec- has demonstrated the fallacy of this tive process and its different phases. tive abilities.” assumption – corporations owe their allegiances not to the development of Or, as he argues more succinctly in The invisible hand of the their country of origin but only to profit Poverty of Philosophy, “what they do wherever it can be found. As Nobel not explain is how these relations them- market? laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz notes selves are produced, that is the historical that “the reason that the invisible hand Perhaps the most well-known phrase movement that gave them birth”. The often seems invisible is that it is often methodological limitations of clas- from Wealth of Nations is the “invisible not there. Whenever there are ’externali- sical political economy were thrown hand”. It is also uniformly misquoted as ties’ – where the actions of an individual into sharp relief in the 1830’s as the an argument for free trade. To illus- have impacts on others for which they working-class emerged in Britain, vali- trate this, the full passage in which the do not pay, or for which they are not dating Marx’s critiques and suggesting phrase appears is compared with the compensated – markets will not work the possibility of a new stage of human selection of Paul Samuelson’s standard well.” Had Smith foreseen this he might development where the exploitation of textbook Economics [emphasis added well have been a critic of the trade liber- to Samuelson’s selection]: man by man might be abolished. alisation regimes that were to follow. Smith was clearly in favour of markets As every individual…therefore, – but only for free markets under strict endeavours as much as he can, both Re-evaluating Smith conditions. Even if those conditions to employ his capital in the support were met, it is unlikely they would have of domestic industry, and so to Marx was a great admirer of Smith and had the effect he anticipated. Slight direct that industry that its produce saw him, alongside David Ricardo, as differentials in ability, life experience or may be of the greatest value; every the culmination of a strand of thought environment in a society where private individual necessarily labours to beginning with Boisguilbert and Wil- property remains would quickly lead render the annual revenue of the liam Petty. The principal criticism Marx to the re-emergence of a class system. society as great as he can. He gen- made of this school, however, was its Even perfect capitalism would still erally, indeed, neither intends to methodology. As he observes in Theo- exploit people, a fact which necessitates promote the general [recte public] ries of Surplus Value [emphasis added]: the struggle for socialism. interest, nor knows how much In any event, far from moving towards he is promoting it. By preferring Classical political economy seeks conditions of perfect justice, liberty and the support of domestic to that of to reduce the various fixed and equality, capitalist society is palpably foreign industry, he intends only mutually alien forms of wealth moving towards the opposite pole. his own security, and by directing to their inner unity by means of Despite the attempts by the neoliberals that industry in such a manner as analysis and to strip away the form to associate “freedom” with the “market” its produce may be of the greatest in which they exist independently the reality for all but a fraction of the

8 Fightback September 2013 Theory worlds’ population are fewer choices and greater hardship. Why you should get Describing the demise of the aristoc- involved in Fightback racy at the beginning of the industrial revolution Smith observes: the aris- tocracy “gradually bartered their whole power and authority” to the emerging We support trade union the workplace and society through bourgeoisie by wasting their wealth activism strikes, workplace occupations and other forms of militant action. In on “frivolous and useless…vanities” to an economic crisis they are more eschew the costs of supporting those Because we believe that only the important than ever. We join in the workers they exploited to accumulate working class can create socialism, struggle to extend the union move- their wealth. He bitterly condemns this we are active in the basic organ- ment to the majority of workers who behaviour: “All for ourselves and noth- isations of the working class, the are not yet organised, especially the ing for other people, seems, in every trade unions. Currently, unions are campaigns by Unite Union to involve age of the world, to have been the vile generally dominated by middle-class youth and workers who have insecure maxim of the masters of mankind.” The bureaucrats who see themselves as peacemakers between workers and conditions. We stand with work- neoliberal prescription has generated bosses. We work towards transform- ers in struggle for better rights and a new aristocracy. The excesses of this ing unions into strong, democratic, conditions, and initiate discussion new class are without precedent and fighting organisations, controlled on revolutionary ideas through strike are producing inequalities of record by their members. Such unions will bulletins and electronic media. proportions. These structural excesses mobilise workers for struggle in are bringing to the surface internal contradictions in the capitalist system which had lain barely dormant. The new aristocracy would do well to be mindful We support student- struggles with those of the working of the insights of a man to whom they worker solidarity class. Workers ultimately pay most of declare their devotion but whose work the bill for education, even in a semi- they apparently haven’t read. On campus and in schools, Workers private university system such as we Party members are actively trying to have. Workers will be won to the idea rebuild the radical student movement. of free education from kindergarten We oppose fees, demand living grants to university if they see students will- for students, and fight for free speech. ing to support their struggles. We encourage students to link their

Contact Auckland Christchurch

Mike Byron 021 0843-3270 021 815-145 [email protected] [email protected]

Wellington Hamilton

Joel Jared 022 384-1917 029 494-9863 [email protected] [email protected]

Fightback September 2013 9 Industrial struggle Leaflet: Stop the scab bills!

Fightback member Grant Brookes speaks at the Wellington Fairness at Work rally. Originally distributed by Fightback at Not just about voting We need fighting unions Fairness at Work rallies. The National government needs to be Labour leaders including Darien Fenton defeated. have argued that the scab bill is un- Clearly we must oppose National’s at- However, during 9 years of a Labour necessary, because strike rates are so low. tacks. Party government, real wages continued However, the lack of strike action is part As Greg Lloyd, EPMU General Coun- to decline while the rich list shot up. of the problem. sel pointed out in his article “Looking at Labour’s Employment Relations Act Unions currently cover less than 10% of the Big Picture,” the apparently minor also contains significant restrictions on the private sector, while real wages have and technical changes in the ERA the right to strike, which is necessary to declined 25% over the past 30 years. Amendment Bill amount to an attempt workers’ power. In Europe and elsewhere, generalised to undermine collective bargaining. It was only a mass campaign under the strike action has confronted the march Meanwhile, Jami-Lee Ross’ private slogan Supersizemypay, including both of austerity and offered a vision of members’ bill allows employers to bring political campaigning and industrial peoples’ power. We need to rebuild a in temporary staff (scabs) while workers action, that finally saw the rise to a $12 union movement willing to take action, are on strike. minimum wage in 2008. in workplaces and communities, to chal- We can only improve our wages and Regardless of who is in parliament, we lenge the attacks of successive Labour conditions if we oppose these attacks, must organise in our communities to and National governments. and defend the right to collectively challenge these attacks from the ground bargain at a minimum. up.

10 Fightback September 2013 Industrial struggle State Gives McDonald’s $270,000 In Subsidies

Article and Official Information Act with subsidies it is not in their interests tax in the past three years. request by Byron Clark, Fightback. to hire more workers than required, as McDonalds has an income of about this would be an unnecessary expense. $200 million a year in New Zealand, so So just how much public money has the wage subsidies are just a drop in In 2009 the Ministry of Social Develop- been paid to McDonalds? Figures the bucket, this doesn’t mean they are ment began paying wage subsidies to obtained under the Official Informa- insignificant however, rather it raises the McDonalds when the company hired tion Act reveal that $272,574 was paid question of why public money should be beneficiaries though the Flexi-wage and between July 1 2009, when the subsi- spent adding to an overflowing bucket. Skill Investment Subsidy programmes, dies began, and June 30 this year. This For the past several months workers at the latter of which has now ceased. This was for hiring 110 beneficiaries. Some McDonalds have been taking industrial allowed McDonalds to receive public McDonald’s restaurants are listed with action in an attempt to improve wages money for employing a former benefi- Work and Income under their indi- or conditions. The company is known ciary, longer term beneficiaries would vidual franchise, and are not included for paying lower wages and offering attract a larger subsidy, though there has in that figure, so the total is likely to be fewer benefits than others in the fast never been any evidence that McDon- higher. A further 700 beneficiaries were food industry, where Unite has made alds is employing more people than they hired without McDonalds receiving significant gains for workers. The com- would otherwise. wage subsidies. pany is known for paying lower wages McDonalds is not a charity providing While receiving tax payer money, and offering fewer benefits than others jobs, nor are they a volunteer based McDonalds in New Zealand has also in the fast food industry, where Unite NGO that hires paid staff based on the been accused of using accounting tricks has made significant gains for workers. availability of funding. As a for profit to avoid paying tax. A large amount of Unlocking the wealth generated by Mc- corporation, McDonalds has a duty to revenue is excluded from taxable profit Donald’s workers, and by the majority return a profit to shareholders and will because it used to pay for use of the of workers who pay tax, could lay the hire the amount of workers required to McDonalds trademark, $50 million basis for a system based on social need produce and sell their product. Even more was spent on trademark fees than rather than private profit. Interview: The 15 year old fighting back against McDonald’s

Interview with Hassan Al-Fadhi, striking busy. Nearly all of the people working has seen that we went on strike and McDonald’s worker. Originally published were members of the union but they nothing bad happened I think they will on Unite News. were really scared. I thought ‘screw this’, come next time. clocked out and told the restaurant manager I was going on strike. I took U: Why should McDonald’s workers go U: Who are you and what do you do? off my gloves and apron and walked out. on strike?

H: My name is Hassan. I’m 15 years old, U: Did anyone come with you? H: McDonald’s workers should all go I’m a student at Glenfield College and I on strike because we work really hard work part time at McDonald’s. H: My friend Marienne came on strike but we need more hours and we need with me too, even though she was more pay. When we don’t strike no one U: What happened tonight? scared before. Then we went to Con- listens to us. If they don’t listen the first stellation Drive McDonald’s and three time we need to keep striking until they H: Tonight I was working in the more workers came on strike with us. do. kitchen at McDonald’s in Wairau Park I’m happy that I stood up for myself and [Auckland]. My union organiser, Shane, I’m stoked that Marienne and the other U: Are you proud of yourself? came in and said that it was a perfect workers came too. Now that everyone time to go on strike because it was so Fightback September 2013 11 Industrial struggle/International

H: Yep, and Marienne too. ment with McDonald’s, ending the recent 30 cents. Fightback will publish analysis of industrial dispute. The new contract has the dispute in our October 2013 issue. Editorial note: While we are going to print, gains in security of hours and the union has Unite has reached a new collective agree- grown, although it only won a pay rise of

McDonald’s workers Hassan and Marienne on strike recently.

Fijian sugar workers face threats, intimidation

by Byron Clark Sugar is Fiji’s largest industry, with demanding a wage review for two years. sugar processing making up a third of Just days before the vote to take strike industrial production in the country. action, a worker was fatally injured Workers at the state owned Fijian Sugar The Lautoka sugar mill workers, who on the job. Samuel Sigatokacake was Corporation (FSC) have voted to take crush sugarcane to extract sugar, have admitted to Lautoka Hospital ICU strike action after they were offered a also been impacted by a decline in the Unit with burns covering over 50% of 5.3% pay rise. This equates to just $7.10 country’s sugar crop over this time, his body. The accident occurred when a week after tax; or in terms of purchas- from 3.8 million tonnes to 1.6 million the support structure of an evaporator ing power, enough to buy half a chicken. tonnes annually, resulting in less weeks gave way, pouring extremely hot water The bigger issue though is that wages of work each year. In some cases people onto the factory floor. Further investiga- for sugar workers in Fiji have declined were without work for eight months tion found the release valve on the vessel, 40% since 2006 when the government of the year. The Fiji Sugar and General which stored water at high pressure, had was deposed by a military coup. Workers Union (FS&GWU) has been not functioned since 2010. The vessel 12 Fightback September 2013 International

Workers from the Karnataka Sugar Mill Workers Union of Shree Someshwar Cooperative Sugar Mill, Belwadi, India, protest attempts by Fijian Sugar bosses to bring in workers from India to break the strike in Fiji.

itself was in very poor condition with the strikers, and threatened to bring in the development of the Sugar Industry corrosions found on the inside. Earlier workers from overseas to replace them. and indeed in all other industries in this that same week it had burst through the Fiji’s Attorney General and Minister for country. Workers create the wealth and cracks in the welding, but cracks were Industry and Trade Aiyaz Sayed-Khai- sustain the economy despite the hard- re-welded and operations continued yum urged workers not to go on strike: ship, intimidation and the bullying by as normal. The union has since made a “We [the Government] have made a the authorities and they deserve better”. Criminal Negligence Complaint. substantial investment to rescue the On August 21st two truckloads of The management of the mill has industry from collapse. This investment military officers drove into Lautoka. intimidated workers, requiring some has begun to turn around the Fiji Sugar Workers were warned that should they employees to fill in a form indicating if Corporation, without a single job being go on strike, they would not be allowed they were going on strike. Others were lost, and it is in the national interest for to return to work, and would be dealt threatened with termination if they this to continue”. Of course, workers with by the military. As we go to press took industrial action.. Others were have seen little benefit from this invest- no industrial action has yet occurred threatened with termination if they took ment; instead they have seen seven years and the company continues to refuse industrial action. Almost a third of the of declining wages. to negotiate with the union. Unions in 770 workers did not vote in the secret “It is a sad indictment on the Regime New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere ballot, likely a result of this intimida- where the workers’ real wage is allowed have expressed solidarity with the sugar tion, but of those who voted 90% were to decline by more than 40% forcing workers and condemned the actions of in favour of strike action. Management workers into extreme poverty”, said the regime, while unions in India have has also offered five year contracts to union president Daniel Urai. “Workers promised to refuse to send scabs if the retired workers to take on the work of deserve recognition from this Regime in strikes happen.

Union members from the Bhogawati Cooperative Sugar Mill, Kumbhi-Kasari Cooperative Sugar Mill, and the Chhatrapati Rajaram Cooperative Sugar Mill in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, protest against plans to break the strike in Fiji using Indian workers Fightback September 2013 13 Tertiary education

Student Debt: Reinforcing the Logic of Capitalism

by Thomas Roud, Christchurch Fight- workers. With less and less job op- restructuring has resulted in Gender back branch. portunities, many undergraduates are Studies, Religious Studies, American leaving university without easily finding Studies, and most languages either

employment. While students’ ability to being completely cut or removed as op- Under liberal capitalist democracy the study is largely supported by the work- tions for a major. The struggle to resist University is lauded as a cultural beacon, ing class, many students after attaining these changes has not been successful, where the new generation of leaders their degree will enter the working class aside from Theatre and Film Studies and entrepreneurs develop themselves themselves rather than high level posi- being consistently threatened with the and explore new horizons. The reality of tions in the ruling class. axe. Even more concerning is the appar- university life is one dominated by the The material reality of a large student ent motivations for these cuts which do corporate hierarchical model and ever debt can therefore act as a coercive not always have an economic incen- present “market forces”. force, providing an incentive to study tive. Universities function as a business, Student debt in Aotearoa/NZ is over those fields which are believed to have have shareholders etc. who are the only $10 billion dollars. The average student the most lucrative career option. The people the University is truly account- debt as calculated in 2007 was $28,000, mythos of higher education has always able to. However, many of the subjects a 54% rise since 2004. While the been one of self-improvement; how- being integrated or eliminated are not student loan scheme allows for interest ever due to this material reality of debt, drains on university resources. There is free loans for tertiary study, debt itself many students will instead pursue study an ideological motive for stripping back controls the function of the university as which they lack interest in and may not all subjects deemed ‘unnecessary’ by well as the decisions of students. be particularly skilled at to begin with. capitalism and the ruling class. Those A student taking on the average debt In essence, accepting the logic to com- areas which are not useful for capitalism of $28,000 will be required to make pete for jobs that pay well weakens the are neglected. compulsory repayments once they ability for the student to succeed at all. Universities largely maintain ideological earn over a certain threshold (ap- This trend is reinforced constantly, hegemony, or the system of ideas that proximately $19,000 per annum). This with the University of Canterbury in a justify capitalist rule. Economics degrees effectively functions as an additional permanent state of ‘restructuring’. This spend no time at all on one of the most 12% tax on the income of post tertiary 14 Fightback September 2013 Tertiary education/Elections comprehensive studies of capitalism over a century – that for all the talk of taken from working class people. It is itself, Marx’s Capital. individual choice and self-improvement, only through systematic change that Students of anthropology, sociology, capitalism actually fails to deliver any education can become something valu- philosophy and other supposedly critical of those things to all but the elite. able. With an economy based on social subjects will find themselves largely More than that, capitalism is unable need rather than profit, it will become focusing on the hegemonic ideas of the to provide for the interests and needs clear that the ability and facilities for time – those that serve the ruling class. of all because it requires the subjuga- people to pursue their interests are es- Political Science degrees merely rein- tion of the majority in order for the sential for an egalitarian society within force capitalism and liberal democracy minority to have all of their needs and the realm of social need. Moreover, the as the best system, with horizons lim- interests tended to. Even within the entire organization of the university ited to different regimes of regulation. bastion of liberal “progressive” thinking, must be rebuilt under the direct control the Academy, the individual loses out to of students, working with educators, Even if some fields of critical work sup- capitalism. rather than dictated by a managing port counter-hegemony in theory, any board whose primary interests are mak- transformative practice will be sharply At first glance it may appear that ing money. opposed by management. Transforma- student debt is the problem, and if tion of universities therefore requires university was free and accessible to all Any struggle for zero fees should also developing radical student and staff we would have more freedom to pursue seek the transformation of universities organizations that can confront man- our interests. This ignores the fact that as a whole. Radical democratic con- agement. the university still exists as an institu- trol by students and staff, rather than tion within a capitalist economy. If it by bureaucratic top-down control in Eroding the myth around the function cannot make money, it will need to be pursuit of profit, would allow for a huge of tertiary education brings to light funded through the state via taxation – expansion of personal freedom. an insight the Left has seen for well a disproportionate amount always being

Coalition governments and real change

Fightback September 2013 15 Elections

by Mike Treen of Unite Union and the embraces and it’s policies were seen as existing system rather than challenging MANA Movement. Originally printed on essentially the same. The government it when they signed up to the ETS as a the Daily Blog. remained reasonably popular but the mechanism to combat climate change. Alliance Party’s support collapsed in the They know that the ETS, or any other polls. Technically the party retained the market-based mechanism, cannot make Can a party that wants fundamental right to differentiate its own position any real impact in combating a threat to changes in society be a minor part of a from that of the larger partner while humanity that has arisen as a conse- coalition government? remaining in cabinet but this was rarely quence of the free market system in the My conclusion is no after having been invoked. Then when the decision was first place. a participant in the Alliance Party’s made to send troops to Afghanistan it Protecting the environment and pro- implosion after attempting to do so provoked a bitter internal fight with the tecting the rights and living standards of from 1999-2002 as part of the Labour- vast majority of the party rejecting the the vast majority of people in the world led government. But that does not mean decision by Anderton and a major- requires the system of capitalism to be that a minor party can’t be an effective ity of Alliance MP’s to support the superseded. That requires a radical social player in parliament for reforms while government’s position. The Alliance was and political movement that aspires to continuing to build a movement outside eliminated from parliament at the 2002 win a majority in the country – not sim- of parliament as well for real change. election and Anderton’s faction has sim- ply assume the role of “junior partner” Similar disasters befell radical left or ply been absorbed into the Labour Party. to a party that remains fundamentally Green parties in many countries. In The problem for a genuinely radical committed to the current system. most cases there existed a moderate party is that it only has minority sup- The Mana Movement, which is in my centrist Labour or social democratic port and cannot impose any significant view a system challenging movement, party that had strong support from policy change on a party committed may also face a similar problem if the working people but was committed to to the existing system. So long as that election is close and Labour and the the existing system including the system system is based on serving the 1% them Greens (and NZ First?) require their of worldwide alliances with the US-led only small and relatively minor progres- vote to form a government. They too western imperial ambitions. sive changes are achievable. That was will be in a position to negotiate some Pressure always comes on the smaller the case for the Alliance which achieved reforms that benefit the people who more radical party to oppose the more the establishment of Kiwibank and support it as part of a negotiated agree- right wing parties and support the Paid Parental Leave and some labour ment to allow a Labour-led government “lesser evil” of social democracy. Many law reforms despite significant opposi- to be formed. By doing so they will working people who either have illu- tion from elements in the Labour Party respect the fact that for now they are sions that their traditional party will at the time. But these changes weren’t a minority party and the majority of make real change, or simply accept – enough to significantly change the posi- the people they want to represent have albeit unenthusiastically – the reality of tion of working people in the country. voted for Labour or the Greens. That lesser evilism will also often want their They weren’t enough to give people democratic choice can be respected. hope that unemployment could be party to ally with parties to their left At the same time Mana can retain eliminated, inequality radically reduced, rather than their right in the hope of their freedom of criticism and ability democratic control exerted over the key more progressive policies emerging. It is to organise at the grass roots for the sectors of the economy. always worth remembering that not all generally timid reforms to go further Labour governments are a lesser evil. It If the Alliance had remained outside of or against any reactionary policies that would be hard to argue that was true for cabinet it could probably have nego- such a government will inevitably end the 1984-90 Labour government. tiated for all the changes it actually up promoting. So long as these parties This was true in 1999 in New Zealand. achieved but remained free to agitate in government are trying to make a sys- There was genuine enthusiasm when and mobilise people in the streets tem “work” they can’t escape ultimately Helen Clark extended the olive branch for the more radical changes that are disappointing their their own support- to the Alliance Party at its conference needed to make a real improvement to ers because for this system to work it that year and what was effectively an the lives of working people. will continue to produce economic crisis, alternative coalition in waiting won the The Greens will face a similar challenge unemployment and environmental election. if they can achieve a majority able to destruction. Movements like Mana can Alliance leader Jim Anderton was made form a government with Labour after then provide a progressive alternative deputy prime minister and three others the next election. The Greens have for those people rather than have that got cabinet posts but the party essential- already taken the first significant steps disappointment captured by the right. ly disappeared from view into Labour’s to becoming a “partner” in running the 16 Fightback September 2013 Elections John Minto for Mayor: “We need a Kiwi socialism”

The latest opinion polls put John Minto the limelight. A recent interview in campaign, John explains, is to change – teacher, veteran activist and MANA the NZ Herald by Michelle Hewitson the perception of MANA as sim- movement candidate – in third place in focussed relentlessly on delving Minto’s ply a Maori Party split, with Pakeha the race for Mayor of Tamaki Makaurau/ personality – and bringing up what (European-ethnicity) leftists merely Auckland. Fightback writer Daphne Law- John calls “the wallpaper of history” being supporters of Maori aspirations. less caught up with him at his campaign about his 30-year activist career. So he John gives this as the reason why, in headquarters. seems quite relieved that Fightback is the last general election in 2011, “all of interested in his campaign’s politics. the MANA candidates in general seats

“I wouldn’t have stood as an independ- bombed”, and only their main Maori Why has John Minto decided to run ent”, he tells us. ‘The MANA Move- spokesperson, Hone Harawira, was for the most powerful urban office in ment is “keen to raise its profile in the elected to Parliament. Aotearoa/New Zealand? He hesitates community,” he explains, as a “building- Building “a broader base for MANA for quite a long time before answering – block” for the general election next year. in Tamaki” is thus a crucial goal of the he calls it “the hardest question”. A major goal of the Minto for Mayor campaign. To this end, John mentions It’s certainly not a question of seeking the role of revolutionary leftists – in Fightback September 2013 17 Elections

particular the Socialist Aotearoa group the #1 plank of Minto for Mayor. The of buses on the road before the Cen- – in his campaign, alongside single-issue Brown administration has recently tral Rail Link comes online. But what activists such as the Tamaki Housing crowed of its successes in negotiating about the fact that the cities where free Group and some individual Green Party $10 billion of transport funding from PT has been trialled – such as Tallinn, members. central Government – although the the capital of Estonia – are quite a bit majority of this will be spent on roads. smaller than Auckland? Fence-sitting Minto doesn’t mince words about “Many cities of all sizes around the what he thinks of this – “a crock”. He world are now looking at free public Len Brown, the incumbent Mayor of points out that experts agree that road- transport,” John argues. “It has tradi- Auckland, was elected as a centre-left building cannot avert total gridlock in tionally been a thing in smaller towns candidate, but his time in office has Auckland within seven years. Minto and cities, but it’s moving into the big- been marked by fence-sitting and predicts that the Government’s plan is ger ones. Auckland is ideally placed to compromise with the forces of big to force Auckland to privatise the Ports benefit – everything has been designed business. One major issue that the of Auckland and other choice infra- for cars here. We can break out of this MANA campaign harps on is Brown’s structure assets to fund public transport. with free and frequent public transport. silence while the council-owned Ports “Len Brown won’t withstand the pres- It will change the culture of Auckland, of Auckland locked out its waterside sure,” John adds. “He’s a roll-over mayor.” the way that people see themselves and workers. As mayor, Minto explains, “I He rejects road tolls and congestion their place in the city.” would absolutely weigh in on the side of charges - “driving low-income workers For this reason, Minto is not in favour the workers.” off the roads” - as alternative funding of immediately removing minimum Some argue that a left-wing Mayor mechanisms. parking requirements for business and would be restricted in what he or “The cost of congestion should be put on homes, which some argue would make she could do by their Council or by employers and businesses, rather than for cheaper housing. “There are families the “commercial independence” of the low income workers,” he insists. “We living way out west or south who cur- Council-Controlled Organisations can gridlock-free the city within 12 rently need three, four or even five cars. (CCOs). Minto will have none of this. months, at at least half the cost of these But this will change once free public “The mayor has got enormous power – if new roading projects. If the people of transport becomes a reality.” he gets involved, the thing is going to Auckland speak with a loud voice, the be sorted.” He has no illusions that his government will follow.” Affordable housing policies “would be fought fiercely” by No-one – apart from some for the the usual suspects such as the Chamber wilder ideologues of the Right – dis- The second major policy of John’s cam- of Commerce - “that’s when you have to putes that Auckland needs better, more paign has been dealing with Auckland’s call on the community for support.” frequent and more comprehensive housing crisis. The current Council’s The Minto for Mayor campaign public transport. At the moment, com- Unity Plan promotes a future of intensi- certainly stands out in the Auckland muters face a choice of “two expensive fied (apartment, flat or townhouse) elections on the basis of its emphasis on options”, as Minto puts it. Free and housing, as opposed to the sprawl of policy. John’s billboards emphasise one frequent public transport would clear stand-alone houses which currently of his core planks - “Free and Frequent congestion from the roads and thus of- constitutes Auckland suburbia. Does Public Transport”. This contrasts with fer two good options. John agree with the arguments of some the meaningless buzzwords like “strong activists that this is a recipe for “slum- Nevertheless, we put to John some voices”, “community”, and “caring” put mification”? of the arguments raised against free about by the other campaigns and public transport: that it would cause “In the case of [the working-class suburb candidates. the system to collapse under too much of ] Glen Innes, it absolutely is,” says “We’ve got big solutions to the problems demand, that homeless people would Minto. “They’re replacing existing state facing Auckland”, says Minto. “Our four sleep on the buses and cause a nuisance, housing with 8-story slums in the town major policies will bring major benefits and that Auckland is too big for such a centre. We’ve seen this happen over- to low-income people, particularly.” trial to work. seas – they’ll be rubbish-quality.” He adds that the Council are handing social John showed very little patience for housing over to the private sector, “so Public transport the first two arguments, calling them you have an additional landlord screw- “brainless” and “bullshit”. He doesn’t see “Free and Frequent Public Transport” is ing you as well as the state. The Unitary any difficulty with doubling the number Plan is a blueprint for developers, not

18 Fightback September 2013 Elections

for communities.” in power within the organisation, as his through on... nothing, really – a big grin “There are affordability issues across fourth major policy. and PR spin. Auckland, but the sharpest point is on “The current Super City is not demo- “It’s my role to cut through that and low-income families who need afforda- cratic at all. Three quarters of the rates put policies forward. By the time this ble rental homes,” John argues. MANA’s charged go to the CCOs, where there’s campaign is finished, people will know solution is to build “20,000 state-of-the- no accountability. We’re saying that they which side we’re on.” Minto doubts that art, warm, dry, affordable rental homes” have go come back under the demo- younger people and immigrant com- on Council-owned land. These will be cratic control of the people of Auckland. munities will be even be aware of his “a mix” of stand-alone and high-density This far-right model has introduced activist history about which the mass housing. Minto admits that “inevitably private sector values of greed and ratch- media seem fascinated. “I’ve been out there will be a huge waiting list”, but in eting up of senior managers’ salaries.” there talking, and getting really positive his first term as Mayor he could com- Quite presciently, Minto talks about feedback.” mit to getting all the building projects “needing to look at the whole contract- “MANA has policies for everybody,” underway. ing model under the Super City”, cur- John emphasises. However, he thinks it’s Minto has no problem with the idea of rently worth about $800 million. “We really good for the revolutionary left to intensification, or that Auckland should want to move away from contracting, be involved in such a “broad” campaign. be growing “up” rather than out. But back to employing people directly. It “We do need revolutionary change, he insists that low-income families will provides greater stability, and cuts out however you see that happening. New still need stand-alone housing. “Families the middle-man.” Zealand has become so laissez-faire need wide spaces to grow up in – they’re (About a week after we did this inter- in economics that the Chinese are not growing to grow up on the sixth view, the news came out that the CCO lecturing us about it. We need to work floor of an apartment building.” Auckland Transport had reported pos- towards a Kiwi socialism, that won’t How would Mayor Minto deal with the sible corruption among its contractors necessarily look like socialism in any issue of homelessness, given the Auck- to the Serious Fraud Office, and a senior other country. land Council’s recent by-law against manager had been stood down.) “But you have to take people from where “nuisance” begging? John points out that But Minto insists that MANA doesn’t they’re at. If you come in from the out- this is the result of the “massive inequal- want for the Auckland Council to side and preach at people – as so many ity” brought to New Zealand by neo- become “a big Stalinist centralised leftists have over the years - people don’t liberalism and the economic crisis. “The bureaucracy.” He calls for a devolution understand the message, and you have most useful thing we could do would be of power to the 21 local boards under a complete disconnect. We have to win to reduce inequality over all. We could the Super City. “We want local com- people to these big policies – and when improve our education, our health, all of munities given decisions for themselves they see the power that they have to our social indicators which have gone on fast food outlets, liquor outlets, and implement such gainst, the whole world backwards over the last decades.” pokies [slot machines] in their areas opens up. – where, and how many.” These commu- “We can dramatically change our Equality and democracy nity organisations could also be empow- economy, get rid of the parasites from it, ered to deal with local petty crime bring back community controls.” Minto The third major policy of the Minto “In this way, we can build a real grass- talks about the Mondragon co-operative campaign is for a living wage for all roots democracy in Auckland. What in the Basque Country within Spain, Council employees and contractors, we have is mass disillusionment – not which has accomplished “zero unem- backed by a “maximum wage” for its apathy. Only 40% of people will prob- ployment” in its areas. “There’s all sorts leaders. This would lead to the Mayor ably vote in this election – thinking, no of models.” taking a small pay cut, and the CEO of matter who I vote for, it doesn’t matter.” And what’s John Minto’s future? “I’m the Council taking a large one. committed to MANA seeing through MANA is additionally standing twelve What side he’s on to the end of next year. We’ll see if we’re candidates for the Council and the vari- able to break into to the Pakeha world ous local boards in working-class South So what’s the feeling out on the streets? and engage people. If not, it’s probably and West Auckland. Minto doesn’t “We’ve got some really good coverage the wrong vehicle at the wrong time. necessarily want a reversal of the “Super of the public transport policy,” John I’m pretty relaxed about it, but I’m going City” amalgamation of Auckland under says. “Len Brown wants to ignore all to give it my everything.” a single council – but insists on a shift policy debate, because he wants to coast

Fightback September 2013 19 Elections

Grant Brookes for Capital and Coast DHB

Grant Brookes, Fightback member, is I have stood in elections in the past in the education minister is doing in a standing for election to Capital and pursuit of some of these goals. growing number of schools. Coast District Health Board (DHB) at the upcoming 2013 local body elections. But I am standing for election to the In a presentation to the July meeting Brookes is standing on a Health First Capital and Coast District Health of the Nurses Organisation’s Regional ticket, endorsed by the Nurses Organisa- Board this October with the aim of Council, I said there is a danger that tion (NZNO) and the MANA Movement. winning a seat. This different goal col- District Health Boards could become Fightback writer Ian Anderson inter- ours all aspects of my campaign. mere window dressing for government viewed him. policy decisions, unless Board members FB: What is the nature of the role? are prepared to claim their democratic mandate to speak out. FB: What are your goals in standing GB: The Board is made up of seven for election to the Capital and Coast elected members, and up to four mem- FB: What has been your involvement District Health Board? bers appointed by the minister of health. in the Nurses Organisation, and what struggles has the organisation waged in GB: Elections are a difficult arena for It provides “governance” for the DHB. the District Health Boards? activists. They favour candidates with So basically that means setting broad big budgets, high public profiles and priorities for healthcare in the district, GB: For the last eleven years I have easy access to mainstream media, who taking responsibility for outcomes, put- been a delegate for the Nurses Organi- trade off conventional memes – in other ting together a budget and annual plan sation, and have represented members words, the mouthpieces of the rich and and so on, under the auspices of the NZ at Capital & Coast DHB on our union’s powerful. Public Health & Disability Act 2000. National Delegates Committee since 2008. More recently, I have chaired the But contesting elections is an important But it’s stunted governance, because the Greater Wellington Regional Council. part of building a mass movement for Act as passed by Labour made even the I currently represent Greater Welling- radical change. elected Board members accountable not ton on the NZNO Board of Directors to the electorate, but to the minister of and I’m the convenor of the National Many goals can be served by standing. health. Delegates Committee. For example, standing in elections can help legitimise and popularise radical Recent amendments by National have What drew me (and many other others) ideas, raise the profile of socialist groups given the health minister even more into NZNO activity was the Fair Pay and recruit new members, put pres- powers. He can now essentially veto campaign of 2003-4. Delivering pay sure on political parties which claim to board decisions, impose ministerial rises of 20-30 percent, this remains the represent working class and oppressed directives and replace an elected board biggest struggle waged by the union in groups, and so on. with an appointed commissioner, like the DHBs in a generation.

20 Fightback September 2013 Elections

Since then, the main extended cam- Health has been similarly underfunded FB: What would a just health system paign in the Sector has been for Safe for at least the last three years. look like? Staffing, Healthy Workplaces. The goal is to get sufficient staffing in every This is driving care rationing, in all GB: A just health system would create DHB to match the fluctuating health- sectors. People can wait weeks to see a health equality, where health status is care demand. It’s a work in progress. GP. Dependent rest home residents are not shaped by ethnicity or income. washed less often. Patients have to be Although I am endorsed by the Nurses sicker before they see a hospital special- It would be democratically controlled by Organisation, I am not representing the ist. Workloads for nurses and other healthworkers and health service users, union in this election. Rather, I aim to healthworkers are rising. or patients. be a voice for the health of the disad- vantaged majority of the population. Health is also being run increasingly It would be universally accessible and according to bureaucratic directives. A free – from primary health to tertiary FB: What would you say are the main handful of “health targets” are priori- care, including dental services, aged care problems confronting nurses, and others tised, at the expense of health in general and optometry – because health would in healthcare? – just as “national standards” in schools be recognised as a human right. are reducing education to the acquisi- GB: The main problem confronting the tion of a very narrow range of skills. It would see individual health as the health system is underfunding. product of social conditions, and work And while the health system is being with other agencies to address social Council of Trade Unions economist Bill compromised in this way, inequality and determinants of health such as housing, Rosenberg calculates that the health other social determinants of health are income, alienation and so on – similar budget was $238 million short of the making for a sicker population. to the original vision of Whānau Ora. amount needed to meet costs this year.

Grant has a large group of volunteers distributing thousands of leaflets across the wider Wellington region.

Fightback September 2013 21 Elections/History

It would be part of a cooperative, nity support the struggle against cuts, Board member, as I see it, is to be a egalitarian society where resources are against privatisation, and for public mouthpiece for this struggle to greatest democratically allocated and directed healthcare? extent possible under the law. according to need. GB: Community “support” will never be There is also an important role for the Bits of it might like the community enough – particularly given emascula- few health experts and academics will- clinics, or Misiònes, established as tion of the District Health Boards of ing to side completely with the disad- part of Venezuela’s transition towards real decision-making power. Cuts and vantaged majority. “socialism for the 21st century”. privatisation will only be reversed by a mass struggle of, and by the community. Watch this space! In other words, it would be radically And by community, I mean the working different from the health system we class majority, organised in unions, par- have now. ties, clubs, marae, groups and so on. [healthfirst.net.nz] [facebook.com/healthfirst.net.nz] FB: How can others in the commu- The role of elected District Health

Witness to a revolution by Michael Kyriazopoulos, Auckland periences as a refugee in Russia, which webs. Mother was a person who Fightback branch clearly left a deep impression on her. combined her fine gifts with practi- cality, this would get us through

On wintry days I remember my the harsh days that were to shatter As I approach the end of my life due mother looking intently at the our beautiful world. Yes, my early to Motor Neurone Disease I have been crystal formations on the window childhood was filled with warmth, reading the fragments of memoirs panes. Slowly and carefully she love and comfort. recorded by my maternal grandmother would translate these delicate in the final years of her life. Virtually patterns into fine crochet work So it begins. My gran was born Mary all of what she wrote centred on her ex- - fragile and intricate as spider- Blumenstock in 1907 in Tukums, Latvia.

22 Fightback September 2013 History

Her Jewish family enjoyed a comfort- school teacher Anna Michaelovna was sisters. They were facing Madame able lifestyle, keeping a maid and a shot while trying to shield the children. Sameluk and the english governess. summer house. Mary’s father was a She later died from her wounds and The two girls were wearing long fur successful timber merchant, but one day Mary was distraught for days. Thereaf- capes with hoods, while Peter wore everything changed forever with the ter the street fighting became so fierce a grey Papcha - a tall karakul fur outbreak of the First World War. Her that school was closed and Mary was hat and a shakell - a military-style father and brother joined the Imperial obliged to stay indoors. Eventually coat, he looked like a miniature Army and Mary and her mother went Mary became sick of being cooped up Cossack. His mother and the old to live in a refugee settlement near Syz- and announced to her mother she was governess, who was a duchess, wore ran. Although the language was foreign going to the shirt factory to find a job. black fur capes. The whole sleigh to her, Mary quickly picked up Russian She was give the task of sewing buttons was covered in fur blankets and and before long had won the school and at the end of the month she was saw the girls each had fur muffs. essay writing competition. She received given two Roubles. After a few months Their hands won’t be freezing I a bag of sweets as a prize which she it became too dangerous to walk the thought as I rubbed my own hands shared with her classmates and teachers. streets: the wounded and the dying lay together. Her story was adapted as a school play in the gutters. The factory then brought which raised money to buy shoes and work to their house for Mary and her In November 1917 Vanya and his wife clothes for refugee children. mother to complete each day. appeared on Mary’s doorstep with the news of the storming of the winter Mary helped her mother rolling Mother and daughter befriended Vanya, palace and the arrest of the Tsar and his cigarettes from which they eked out a a peasant who worked on the nearby family. The couple started crying and meagre livelihood. Two and a half years Sameluk estate. He would often bring making the sign of the cross over their after coming to Russia with the war still over the Sameluk’s little boy Peter as a hearts. As Mary recalled, “Mama and I raging the situation was bleak: playmate for Mary. Vanya also became could not feel very upset at the arrest of their main source of news, informing the Tsar, we were only concerned about Milk was now becoming scarce them that masses of soldiers were now getting home and reuniting with our and the bread tasted dry as wood deserting and fighting on the side of the family.” shavings. We could not buy kero- Bolsheviks. Mary overheard Vanya say- sene for our lanterns, nor candles ing that the Bolsheviks would take away At last they received a letter from Jacob. or soap. Our school meals usually the estate from the Sameluk family He was now working for a co-operative consisted of two potatoes in their and that would leave him and his wife belonging to the People’s Organisation jackets and a small piece of herring. without livelihood or a home. which was being run by the new gov- ernment. Mary and her mother could We also had a mug of black coffee Eventually the school reopened but at last visit Vanya’s family in their little without sugar, which I would there was no sign that the war was icon filled hut, which the Sameluk’s give to another child. One of my coming to an end. One afternoon Vanya would not have allowed before. potatoes I slipped into my pocket brought in the news that the war min- to take home to mama. ister had ordered their soldiers to fight On a hot July day in 1918 Mary on the the last man. They had mobilised witnessed an extraordinary sight while My gran recalled their clandestine a big squadron to the front line and had walking home from school: preparations for the festival of Passover driven the German army back. Mary when Jews traditionally eat Matzah, was glad her mother could not fully People were dancing in the street, unleavened bread. Matzah was banned understand his words as she would have there was singing and shouting and in Russia and it was forbidden to even only been worried about her son Jacob. laughter everywhere. There were bake it yourself. Mary’s job was to keep large pictures of Lenin hanging As Mary was dressing for school one a lookout while the women worked from the building draped in red winters morning a sudden explosion quickly and quietly, tracing tiny holes in silk. Men were throwing up their ripped right through the window and the round shapes of dough before plac- hats into the air and people were made a hole in the opposite wall. As she ing them in the oven. embracing. I knew something had stared out the hole she saw an elegant happened, but what? I tugged on One morning just as the school bell was sleigh appear leaving the Sameluk a tall man’s sleeve. “Excuse me sir, ringing Tzarist police were pursuing a estate: group of students. The students jumped what has happened, why is every- one so excited?” I asked. over the school wall and the police I watched as it drew nearer and started firing at them. Mary’s beloved saw Peter seated between his two

Fightback September 2013 23 History

“Why, have you not heard Tsar on the brink of starvation. throw their hands up in despair of any Nicholas and the Tsarina and the From the uprising of 1905, drowned in prospect for a classless society. But such children have been executed. Even a bloodbath of Tsarist despondency is misplaced. We should that devil Rasputin too!”. I stared reac- instead recall William Morris’s words at him in horror. How could the in A Dream of John death of the royal family cause Ball, in such joy. Were they responsible for all those thousands of young soldiers being slaughtered on the battlefields. For all the orphaned children, for so much suffering. If so I began to understand the rejoicing of the people.

Vanya told Mary that officials had come to the estate and told him he could stay in the hut, but would be required to submit a daily account of all the produce. However Vanya was wor- ried about this task due due to his poor spelling. Mary offered to teach him, “And soon Vanya was writing all the words he needed, such as eggs, potatoes, chicken, apples and so on. He was very proud and eager to learn.” At last it was time to go home, Mary’s mother caught a fever travelling on a cattle truck on the train. The train track to Tukums was too badly dam- aged so they had to alight at Shmalden Forest in Kurland. They got a ride by horse and cart into town which Mary’s mother paid for with her wedding ring. When they finally reached their street the buildings were completely bombed out. They found shelter in a relative’s home that had been completely looted. Mary attempted to nurse her deteriorat- ing mother, picking wild berries and mushrooms from the forest to feed her. However she died before her father which the nar- returned. rator ponders, “How men fight I find my gran’s resourcefulness as a and lose the battle, and the thing they young girl truly astonishing. She was tion, through to the days of hope of fought for comes about in spite of their constantly doing street collections for the Bolshevik Revolution rapidly defeat, and when it comes turns out not the refugee fund even though she and followed by the Civil War, the Rus- to be what they meant, and other men her mother were destitute themselves. sian Revolution always had a heavy have to fight for what they meant under It is remarkable how some seventy dose of tragedy. Of course isolated as it another name.” years later she was able to vividly recall was in a backward country, the infant a special fish soup meal made by her workers’ state eventually succumbed to mother, or a gift of yellow plums from totalitarian Stalinist counter revolution. Vanya. No doubt a consequence of living It’s enough to make many faint-hearts

24 Fightback September 2013