Editorial/Publication info

Becoming a sustaining subscriber Editorial

Subscriptions to The Spark are available for $16.50 a year, this Recently I stopped at the Occupy Christchurch site (which had covers the costs of printing and postage. At present the writ- the previous day agreed with the local council to end the camp) to ing, proof reading, layout, and distribution is all done on a vol- help clean up a bit and pick up a banner I had provided. The ban- unteer basis. To make this publication sustainable long term ner read “We won’t pay for the failure of their system!” and had we are asking for people to consider becoming ‘Sustaining been hanging between two trees for the last few months. subscribers’ by pledging a monthly amount to The Spark (sug- The banner pre-dated the campsite and had its first public outing gested $10). Sustaining subscribers will be send a free copy of when it was unveiled at the Christchurch Town Hall while John every Workers Party pamphlet to thank them for their extra Key spoke at a so-called ‘jobs summit’. The two activists who held support. it up were swiftly trespassed from the building- although the se- To start your sustaining subscription set up an automatic pay- ries of earthquakes Christchurch has experienced since then has ment to 38-9002-0817250-00 with your name in the particu- made this punishment somewhat redundant. lars and ‘Sustain’ in the code and email your name and address The banner has such staying power because a common theme of to [email protected] struggle since the global financial crisis has been a refusal to take concessions on wages, welfare and standard of living. This issue looks at a number of those situations. One of the biggest situa- Get The Spark tions is with the Ports of Auckland workers who are refusing to each month give up their hard-won union contracts in exchange for casualised jobs. With significant welfare reform on the horizon beneficiaries Monthly magazine are also being told they should tighten their belts. Whatever situ- Within NZ: $16.50 for one year published by: ation you are in- at work, out of work, unable to work, now is the (11 issues) or $33 for two years time to say that you won’t pay for the failure of a system that does (22 issues) not work for the majority of people. Rest of the World: $20 for one Kia Kaha year or $40 for two years Send details and payments to: The Spark April 2012, Vol.22, The Spark, PO Box 10282 No 4, Issue No 252 Dominion Rd, Auckland Coordinating Editor or Byron Clark Bank transfer: Proofing/Content Jared Phillips 38-9002-0817250-01 Assisting Editors Name: Ian Anderson, Rebecca Address:...... Broad, Mike Kay ...... Layout: Joel Cosgrove I have enclosed:...... Front Cover: Joel Cosgrove, Heleyni Pratley Donations and bequeathments The Workers Party 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 ini- tials and surname (or anonymous.) Large and small, regular and one-off donations are all appreciated and listed in The Spark from time to time. The Spark magazine is now in its 20th year as we continue the long-term fight for socialism. Readers and supporters may consider remembering 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 ‘Workers Party, PO Box 10-282, Dominion Road, Auckland’ as well as what you would like to leave to us. 2 The Spark April 2012 Welfare attacks Defending the Domestic Purposes Benefit

This article was contributed to The Spark in an economy in which many two in- introduce a single ‘Jobseeker Support by Jessica Ward come families are still struggling. Sole Benefit’ set at the current rate of the mothers have cited many disadvantages unemployment benefit with top ups for of living on the DPB, most often the fi- those currently on other benefits. This The Domestic Purposes Benefit (DPB) nancial pressures of managing on a low would see a majority of beneficiaries was fought for by our mothers and income, coupled with the fear of unan- in part time work take a pay cut as the grandmothers. Before the introduction ticipated expenditures such as visits to Welfare Working Group also advocates of the DPB women raising children were the doctor or prescription drugs. Liv- a single abatement rate for the Jobseeker entirely financially dependent on a part- ing on the DPB has been referred to as Support benefit which would result in ner. Women in abusive relationships that “survival”, “a real struggle” and “totally a reduction of 55c for every dollar of wanted to leave their husband would be impossible”. In a recent mail-out survey weekly income earned in excess of $20. forced to also leave their children. The one woman said: I don’t see how this encourages solo par- DPB was formed through Social Secu- ents to work when it will result in less pay rity Amendment Act in 1973 with the You feel like a second-class citizen and less time spent with their children. first payments starting in May of 1974. basically and a lot of energy goes Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei has The DPB was originally set at a level into just surviving. You spend more spoken of the government’s cuts in early that enabled solo mums to care for their time because of your really tight childhood education making childcare children as a full time job without having financial situation running around unaffordable for many and says “It makes to enter the work-force. Unfortunately trying to get assistance to help you no sense to force parents into minimum now this is not the case. National’s pro- keep going all the time... it’s a real wage jobs, when it means they don’t see posed benefit cuts mean mothers on the catch-22. It’s a really vicious cycle. their kids and they’re no better off finan- DPB will be required to start looking for cially after paying for childcare.” part time work when their child turns 3 According to the first-time use survey and full time work once their child turns The value of unpaid performed in 1998, 70% of the work 6. work in New Zealand in 1999 was $40 billion, performed by women in New Zealand is The Ministry of Social Development unpaid while only 40% of men’s work is (MSD) argues that by working 20 hours which is equivalent to unpaid. That’s a lot of work that is be- a week a solo mum could go off the ben- 39% of gross domestic ing undermined. Over the course of one efit. Now assuming they were going into product. These are pretty year New Zealanders perform 4.2 billion a job at the current minimum wage, what overwhelming numbers. hours of unpaid work. If this is converted the MSD is effectively saying is that you “ into full-time jobs it equates to over 2 can raise a child on $260 a week. The million jobs. 2.7 billion hours a year are base rate for the DPB isn’t much better Living costs are on the rise and this is spent by women doing unpaid and there- at $288.47 per week so for performing exacerbated by the government raising fore invisible work. The value of unpaid the full time job of a mother you will get GST to 15%. The cost of raising a child work in New Zealand in 1999 was $40 paid only slightly over what you would is estimated at around $10-$14 thou- billion, which is equivalent to 39% of get paid for part time work. Of course sand dollars a year according to a recent gross domestic product. These are pretty this does not take into account the rising report. The base rate of a solo parent overwhelming numbers. A 2011 Statis- cost of childcare or the impact of a child is $15,000 a year for one child. Is this tics New Zealand Report (latest availa- being put into childcare at an early age. not discrimination? Do children born ble) estimated that 65% of women’s work I struggle to make ends meet on my $200 to solo parents or parents who become was unpaid. a week student allowance, I have no idea solo parents not cost the same amount In a recent book social scientist Anne how I would manage to feed, house cloth and is it not our responsibility as a soci- Else said that under current economic and educate a child with only an extra ety to ensure that all children have equal circumstances more unpaid work is be- $60 a week. advantages? While most of us are strug- ing forced upon individuals as the state gling the last year has seen the wealth of I find it hard to believe that any woman is taking less responsibility for society New Zealand’s 150 richest people grow would choose to be on the DPB if there and unpaid labour fills the gap. Shorter by almost 20% to the highest ever total was an alternative. It’s not an easy life- stays in hospital and longer waiting lists of $45.2 billion. style trying to care for children without mean an increase in unpaid care: The support as well as manage tight finances The Welfare Working Group wants to more delay and anxiety there is over

The Spark April 2012 3 Welfare attacks health care, the more free caring work One of the Welfare Working Group rec- services by up to 50%. Is this govern- someone, somewhere has to do to take ommendations included work testing for ment so short sighted that they cannot up the slack. Education reforms mean people with chronic illnesses and disabil- see how this will impact on the children that it is unpaid parents who now pro- ities. This seems like a waste of time. If of beneficiaries? The United Nations has vide the school administration which a person has cancer or clinical depression already condemned New Zealand for was once the job of paid departmental working testing will likely achieve noth- the fact one in four New Zealanders live staff. With a shift in work from paid to ing more than causing someone already in poverty. How much more state en- unpaid due to National’s job cuts in the in a vulnerable position stress and anxie- forced child neglect and abuse will we as public sector, and a continuing recession, ty. It is well established that unemployed a society take before we stand up and say where are all these jobs for solo parents and sickness beneficiaries are at a greater enough is enough. and other beneficiaries going to come risk of suicide than the general popula- Why is raising children not given more from? In 2008 80,000 jobs disappeared. tion. With one of the highest rates of credibility as a job? It is possibly the In Nationals current term of government suicide in the OECD where every 16 hardest and most time consuming job the amount of people wanting work has hours a New Zealander kills themselves, there is, and it’s unpaid. A mother’s job also increased to a total of 271,000. surely addressing the relationship be- does not begin at conception and end Numerous studies suggest that the im- tween welfare and mental illness is of with birth; it is a life time commitment pact of motherhood on employment and greater important and social good than taking responsibility for another human income differs from that of fatherhood trying to force women doing underval- being. Children are our most valuable in industrialised countries. This raises ued unpaid work into jobs that don’t exist resource; they are the next generation another question; if there were part-time or work testing people with illnesses and of workers. Being a stay at home mum jobs available for solo parents, what’s to disabilities. is often seen as an easier alternative to say that employers will hire them? Al- The Welfare Working Group also seems paid employment, how can this be? A ready women’s job opportunities and to think it is allowed a say over your sex solo mum is not just a parent; she is an wages relative to men’s are most likely life and recommends giving long term accountant, a teacher, a nurse, a care- to decline after they become parents, as reversible contraception to beneficiaries. worker, a counsellor, an administrator, they are seen to be more likely to disrupt (The phrase ‘nanny state’ , usually used a cook, a cleaner, a taxi driver, a mentor paid work for family responsibilities. as a derogatory phrase by rightists to de- and a provider. That’s a big job descrip- Substantial research also indicates nei- scribe the welfare state, springs to mind). tion to take on for no appreciation and ther state benefits nor employment earn- They also want to cut benefits for people no money. We should be admiring these ings allow many sole mothers to escape with drug and alcohol problems who re- women for their contribution to our so- from poverty. fuse to attend treatment and counselling ciety, not benefit bashing. Interview: Sue Bradford on the unemployed workers movement

Last month Auckland Action Against this is that it will be extended to more saying a certain amount of unemploy- Poverty held a workshop to plan their beneficiaries, as the Welfare Working ment is good for economic growth. next campaign. Ian Anderson inter- Group recommended. For solo mothers The Spark: You’ve been involved in the viewed Sue Bradford who is prominent it will mean work testing and harass- unemployed workers’ movement since in the group to discuss the history and ment. In July they’ll be announcing re- the ‘80s. What has changed over that future of the unemployed workers’ forms targeting people on the Sickness period? movement. Benefit. SB: In some ways a lot, in some ways

The Spark: Why must all workers oppose not much at all. The combined attack on these attacks? unions and beneficiaries is very similar The Spark: How will National’s recently SB: The worse it is for beneficiaries and to what happened in the early ‘90s, also announced welfare reforms affect benefi- the unemployed, the more competition under a National government. Labour is ciaries? SB: for low paid jobs, the easier it is to drive also complicit. In the 2000’s they moved For youths of 16-17 years old it will down wages and conditions. The capital- welfare towards getting people into mean the state, or private service provid- ist system needs unemployment. Lately work, away from supporting people in ers, managing their income. My fear with people have been very open about this, their time of need.

4 The Spark April 2012 Welfare attacks

The Spark: Can you tell me about setting The Spark: Could you talk about your The Spark: More recently you’ve been up the Peoples’ Centres, and what made time in the Green Party, and what led involved in setting up Auckland Action this different from other forms of activ- you to leave. Against Poverty. Can you talk a little ism? SB: In 1999, when I entered parliament, about that? SB: In 1983 we set up the Unemployed I’d spent 16 years in the unemployed SB: After leaving parliament I looked Workers Rights Centre, which worked workers’ movement. Over that time we’d around to see what was happening, of on both advocacy and political cam- tried to offer alternatives, to offer hope, course my whole life is political. But now paigning for unemployed workers. In but we’d also spent a lot of time banging I was getting back to the streets, which is 1988 we started setting up the organiza- on the walls, on the outside. more my political home. tions that would later become the Peo- When I joined the Greens, it was the I realised that since 1999 there hadn’t ples’ Centres. first parliamentary party whose kaupapa really been an organised unemployed This was partly because things were get- made sense to me. In parliament I aimed workers’ movement in Auckland. Two ting tougher, and partly because having to give voice to the unemployed, to bene- years ago a few of us formed Auckland a paid membership base made our work ficiaries, solo mothers and youth. I man- Action Against Poverty to oppose and with unemployed workers more effec- aged to get three private members’ bills expose government attacks. We’re aim- tive. Peoples’ Centres provided services, through while not in government, which ing to set up paid advocacy positions. including hair-dressing and medical ser- is a record. We’d also like to work with other regions, vices. I left after the female co-leadership elec- to step up our fight back for beneficiaries In the ‘90s we were both fighting on the tion in 2009. As everyone knows I lost. and for decent jobs. streets and acting as the largest benefi- But also throughout that campaign it be- ciary advocacy service in the country [the came increasingly clear that the political Wellington Peoples’ Centre still provides left in the Green Party was weak. People advocacy and services for low-income and were pushing it towards the centre, under unemployed workers - eds] the slogan “neither left nor right.”

Sue Bradford leading a protest outside the electorate office of Paula Bennett.

The Spark April 2012 5 Ports dispute Global union movement backs the Ports of Auckland workers

The following is a news release from the aged poor employers to attempt to crush how the government in Wellington is International Trade Union Confederation worker and union resistance. hoping that this attack on workers can The ITF has mobilised its 690 mem- be covered up and tidied away.” ber trade unions – which include 221 ITF general secretary David Cockroft A powerful group of global unions which dockworker unions with 400,000 docker stated: “I am glad to report that the ITF’s between them represent tens of mil- members worldwide – in support of the worldwide force of ship inspectors are lions of unionised workers, are now on workers who the Port of Auckland is right now visiting vessels and explaining ‘red alert’ over the treatment of workers trying to throw out of their jobs. Paddy to their officers and crews what is being in New Zealand that is being dramati- Crumlin, who chairs the ITF dockers’ attempted by POAL’s management. We cally illustrated by disputes at the Ports section and is ITF president and MUA have also ensured that it is at the fore- of Auckland, Affco and the Oceania care national secretary, explained: front of the minds of the shipping com- company. “What’s happening in Auckland is a munity, who value good and efficient The warning was sounded last month naked attack on the workers and their port relations. As we speak, members of by the International Transport Workers’ union, the MUNZ, and it’s creating the Philippines’ PALEA union are rally- Federation (ITF), International Trade worldwide repercussions. Messages ing outside the New Zealand Embassy Union Confederation (ITUC), Inter- of solidarity from ITF members have in Makati City in the Philippines – a national Union of Foodworkers (IUF), flooded in, and those same unions are foretaste of the lawful protests and una- Public Services International (PSI), and contacting New Zealand embassies in voidable disruption that the New Zea- the Council of Global Unions. their own countries. The ITF has today land ruling party and the management of They demanded an end to the union- been told by the country’s High Com- POAL seem hellbent on attracting, even busting measures that New Zealand’s mission in London that it ‘would not be though the offer of a negotiated settle- workers have endured over recent appropriate’ to meet to discuss how a set- ment remains the ideal and still available months, and highlighted the amended tlement in POAL can be reached – a sad solution.” Employment Relations Act 2000, which abrogation of responsibility that shows has reduced workers’ rights and encour-

Report from the picket line

Mike Kay, Workers Party, Auckland Some politicians have been forced to get 5,000 people marching in support of off the fence during the dispute: “We the wharfies. The rally at the waterfront

had Pita Sharples here the other day, giv- threatened to be a damp squib, with key- Morale on the picket line remained ing everyone high fives. But [Auckland note speaker David Shearer delivering strong on 20 March, despite the wet Mayor] Len Brown has been a big disap- an underwhelming, stumbling speech and wild weather. “We work out in this pointment. He sat in on the last media- that no doubt reflected his discomfort weather 24/7, so it’s no problem for us,” tion we had with Ports of Auckland, but at addressing a group of staunch strik- explained one wharfie. Another striker he said nothing.” ing workers. Fortunately, the Maritime described how important the public sup- “Last Monday we put on a ‘hard picket’ Union of Australia saved the day, with port has been for them: “We had run- which was effective. We kept it on just deputy national secretary Mick Doleman ners doing Round the Bays come past long enough to have the trucks backing pledging: “We’ll be with you no matter our picket line this weekend, and there up all down the road, just to send a mes- how long it takes”. were thousands of them clapping and sage of the kind of disruption that is pos- cheering us. We also had players from sible.” the Bulldogs coming down to support us, although they weren’t allowed to wear Another high point was public dem- any of their gears!” onstration on 10 March, with at least

6 The Spark April 2012 Ports dispute Solidarity throughout the country

Kelly Pope, Workers Party, Christchurch In response to the action by staff, Lyttel- drawing attention to the struggles of ton Port Company filed for an injunction Auckland workers. to prevent workers from continuing to While the group, including representa- Support for the striking Ports of Auck- boycott the ship and the case was heard tives from a number of unions and politi- land workers has been evident in on the day. As solidarity strikes remain cal activists, were at the wharves, Libby Christchurch and across the country this illegal, the court ordered workers on the Carr, secretary of the Rail and Maritime last month. On the 7th of March port picket line to resume work unloading the Transport Union arrived from the court workers in Lyttelton refused to unload ship or face penalties which could in- hearing. Though bringing the news of the ship the Lisa Schulte which had clude fines and imprisonment. the ruling, she told those present that the been worked on by non-union workers Workers remained on the picket line workers would be heartened to hear of in Auckland, following similar action while the court case was attended by the support from the community and in- by Wellington and Tauranga port work- union organisers. In the evening a group vited people to continue supporting the ers. Around a hundred and fifty workers of around thirty people marched down workers by attending the stopwork meet- planned to boycott the ship in solidarity Lyttelton’s main street to the wharves in ing for RMT and MUNZ union mem- with Auckland workers and did so until a display of support for the port work- bers the following day. that night. ers challenging the anti-strike laws and

Throughout the four weeks of strikes and the lockout only ten union member broke the picket line.

The Spark April 2012 7 Ports dispute/Urewera 4 Ports of Auckland: llegal solidarity actions necessary to challenging employer offensive Ian Anderson, Workers Party, Wellington On the 2nd of March, port workers in challenge a secondary employer such as Wellington refused to work a ship load- Wellington’s CentrePort. The Interna- ed by scabs in Auckland. On a rainy and tional Labour Organisation notes how “Blacking”, or black-listing of cargo, dreary night, a community picket drew the right to strike underpins all other has a long and proud history among in support from various unions, with basic rights, such as the right to organ- wharfies. In 1998 during the Australian delegates from Unite calling off an event ise, the right to a living wage, and even Patricks dispute, when the Australian that night to show solidarity. CentrePort wider community claims; the 1970s saw government in concert with private con- promptly got a court order demanding Green Bans in which construction work- tractors launched an offensive to casual- Wellington wharfies unload the ship. ers refused to work on roading projects ise Australian ports, wharfies in Auck- All ships loaded by scabs have also been that would disrupt the local community. land black-listed a ship loaded by scab black-listed in Australia. Both Labour and National oppose the labour. This international solidarity was a In the February issue of The Spark, we unrestricted right to strike because it un- key factor in undermining the employer noted how solidarity strikes are crucial dermines the basis of their class power. offensive, an attack which was in many in challenging the current employer of- This right is never given, always taken. ways similar to the current offensive by fensive. Labour’s Employment Relations Workers and progressives must fight for Ports of Auckland. Act bans solidarity strikes, because they the unrestricted freedom to strike. Drop the charges! Partial victory for Urewera 4 defendants

Ian Anderson defendants have been harrassed under face of a racist country determined to successive Labour and National govern- quash Maori aspirations for sovereignty. On the 20th of March, the jury finally ments. A press release by the October reached a verdict on firearms charges for “We will fight for the freedom of our 15th Solidarity Group noted the bun- the remaining 4 Operation 8 defendants. comrades. We will not cease. Ever. Ka gling inconsistency of the Crown’s at- All were found guilty and not-guilty of a whawhai tonu matou. Ake! Ake! Ake!” tack, and went on to explain the political range of firearms charges. There was no We must also recognise the injustice of basis of it, quoting Valerie Morse whose resolution to the far more serious charge the Crown’s attack on Tuhoe self-deter- charges were dropped last year: of belonging to an organised criminal mination, and their Orwellian decision group – on evidence that was gathered ‘Operation 8 was a multimillion dol- to legalise their own actions in retrospect. under “Terrorism” laws, with no terror- lar police operation designed to harass We demand that the Crown drop all re- ism charges laid. Tuhoe and political activists. After six maining charges, and oppose all further years, the crown has secured a few fire- Under various charges, and at diminish- attacks on the right to self-determina- arms convictions based on illegal evi- ing returns for the Crown, the Urewera tion. dence. This whole episode reveals the sad

The Urewera 4 in court

8 The Spark April 2012 Women’s liberation US and New Zealand: The struggle for access to abortions and contraception continues Vita Bryant, Workers Party, Wellington What does it say about the college coed the media coverage of the case related to Susan Fluke [sic], who goes before a the earlier judgment, and anti-abortion In the heat of the campaigning for the congressional committee and essentially and contraceptive campaigners still cite Republican Primaries, Sandra Fluke, a says that she must be paid to have sex? the overturned 2008 decision as persua- law student at Georgetown, a well-re- What does that make her? It makes her sive authority that New Zealand wom- spected Catholic university in Washing- a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. en’s access to abortion is too liberal and ton DC, applied to make a submission She wants to be paid to have sex…Can must be tightened. to the United States House Committee you imagine if you’re her parents how on Oversight and Government Reform. The Right to Life case is not the only ex- proud of Sandra Fluke you would be? The committee had convened to discuss ample of New Zealand women’s access to Your daughter goes up to a congressional whether or not to amend the Patient abortion coming before the court system hearing conducted by the Botox-filled Protection and Affordable Care Act, and being dissected by the media. In the Nancy Pelosi and testifies she’s having so which would allow employers to opt out 2006 case Zhu v Ministry of Health, a much sex she can’t afford her own birth of providing insurance coverage for con- 24-year old Chinese student studying control pills and she agrees that Obama traception on religious grounds – in oth- in New Zealand, was sentenced to 20 should provide them, or the Pope. er words, regardless of an employee’s reli- months imprisonment for supplying the gious belief, their employer can mandate Limbaugh’s commentary would be al- means of procuring an abortion (an of- whether or not their insurance will cover most laughable if its hate-filled echoes fence under section 186 of the Crimes access to contraception. In a country Act 1961) after it was found that she where the costs of medicines are largely What does it say had made 44 sales of abortion-inducing covered by private insurance arrange- about the college coed medicines sent to her from China to oth- er Chinese immigrant women in New ments, such an amendment could leave Susan Fluke [sic], the contraceptive choices of hundreds Zealand. While the case was extensively of thousands of women in the United who goes before a covered in the New Zealand media, there States to the whims of their employers. congressional committee were few voices questioning why these women did not have access, or feel they Sandra Fluke was denied the right to and essentially says that could access abortions via the New Zea- testify in front of the all-male commit- she must be paid to have land healthcare system. tee; however she was able to speak to “ sex? What does that make Sandra Fluke’s treatment by the House Democratic members of the House of her? It makes her a slut, Representatives a week later. Her speech Committee, and later by Limbaugh and outlined the prohibitive costs faced by right? It makes her a other conservative commentators, dem- women at her Catholic university if their prostitute. She wants to be onstrates just how virulently the agenda insurance provider was able to deny fe- paid to have sex… of denying women access to contracep- male students access to birth control, tives and abortions is propagated by weren’t reverberating across the Pacific which she asserted could cost over $3000 the religious-right of the United States. Ocean to affect the rights of New Zea- over the course of obtaining a degree, as However, as evidenced by recent me- land women to access contraceptives and well as the potential health risks, such dia coverage of New Zealand’s abor- abortions. In a decision of the High as untreated polycystic ovary syndrome, tion laws, it is important that we do not Court of New Zealand in 2008, Right that could arise from lack of access to dismiss this commentary as an isolated to Life New Zealand Inc v Abortion birth control. incident confined to America’s extreme Supervisory Committee, Justice Miller and vocal conservative commentators, Her speech most likely would have failed stated that there was “reason to doubt the but to view the derision of Fluke as part to be heard above the battle roars of Rick lawfulness of many abortions” performed of an effort to erode the hard won right Santorum and Ron Paul, had her posi- in New Zealand, and that abortion law to access abortion and contraception that tion not been picked up by Rush Lim- was being circumvented by doctors giv- is taking place in countries all over the baugh, a conservative “shock jock” and ing out abortions without thoroughly world, including in New Zealand. talk-back radio host. On February 29, abiding by statutory procedures. While 2012, he offered this response to Fluke’s this decision was eventually overturned speech: by the Supreme Court in 2011, most of

The Spark April 2012 9 Occupy movement Why have women left the Occupy Movement?

Byron Clark, Coordinating editor of The a few about what they felt like doing at I please’ rampage” commented Brenda Spark night... and yup, all really sleazy “people in that socio-economic bracket - Carla don’t get taken seriously too often, so when something like this comes along “Many males at Occupy camps world- The Occupy movement began as a move- where the point is to liberate, then unless wide seem to believe that it is accept- ment championing the “99%” united you have been very well taught I’m sure able to harass females to give themselves against the 1% of the world’s population its easy to get confused on exactly how power.” said Anne Russell, who had that control a disproportionate amount to liberate.” the worlds wealth. A possible flaw in this been part of the campsite in Wellington. “The Occupy camp has attracted un- is that oppression is not as simple as a “Although a lot of males at camps don’t wanted attention from passers-by, the 99:1 ratio and exists within the working share this view, they find it difficult to hospital across the road has banned oc- class and even within social movements. empathise and carry out justice accord- cupation people from going there- a A movement that saw an even gender ingly. Occupy didn’t have the resources clear lack of support from them- and es- balance when it arrived in New Zealand or know-how to combat and prosecute pecially at night when there is no other last October saw the number of women offensive or dangerous behavior that left place for women to go to the toilet with- involved dwindle to just a hand full. The many women feeling threatened. Lord out having to talk a long distance.” said Spark asked women currently or previ- knows wider society, with its high rape Jo of Occupy Christchurch, “Though I ously involved in the movement why statistics and low conviction rate, has have had to deal with aggressive male they thought so many women left. Their done a poor job of teaching ethical be- behavior on site, I have felt supported by responses are printed here. Some names haviour with regard to gender. Our cur- those staying there when doing so most have been changed for privacy reasons. rent justice system, pushing its one-size- fits-all imprisonment system, isn’t always times, for me it’s worth the struggle to “The guys there put out a really uncom- helpful either.” stay involved and support the women fortable energy. Its not the occupy that who are staying there as much as I can, She continues, “The problem at Occupy it used to be aye, its just gross now – no, trying to ensure their safety on site too, camps stemmed from its insistence that it offense- girls feel unsafe and uncomfort- rather than just walk away. Yet everyone was a leaderless, non-hierarchical move- able whenever they’re there. Most of the has their own breaking point I guess”. guys there are friggin’ predators.” ment. A lovely thought, but currently unrealistic. Occupy wanted to accept The Workers Party has developed its - Meg everyone into the group, but was unable own policies and procedures for dealing “I think the movement got all gross. It to deal with the fact that some people’s with potential sexist or misogynistic be- was very try-hard I felt. Women were behavior impinges on others’ freedoms, haviour. At our conference over Queen’s driven away with the misogynist at- and needs exclusion.” Birthday weekend there will be a pres- titudes, sexist attitudes and promotion entation on the concept of safe spaces in “Some guys there are on a ‘I’ll do what of prostitution- I remember I spoke to activist movements.

Occupy Auckland, along with the other occupations, originally began with a relatively equal gender balance.

10 The Spark April 2012 Analysis Meat industry dispute reveals need to re- organise entire working class on militant basis

By writers for The Spark Industry-wide attack in meat cies and therefore squeeze more profits processing out of the workforce. Many AFFCO plants are now anti- The livelihoods of thousands of working The lockout is another vicious employer quated. Instead of resolving efficiency class people in New Zealand are being action in the meat industry which fol- problems through investing in plant and attacked by Talleys Group Ltd, a New lows on from the 7-week lockout of ap- machinery to create state of the art work- Zealand-based private company which proximately 100 workers at the CMP places, New Zealand capitalists have owns AFFCO meat-processing plants plant in the Manawatu, which is owned tended to focus on making the workforce and has locked out freezing workers by ANZCO. Now the AFFCO lockouts leaner, making it work harder and faster. throughout the North Island. are impacting on approximately 1000 workers so far. Additionally, a more general point is that employers seek to increase profit through Background These lockouts and strikes are not the result of normal negotiation breakdowns. labour intensification because it creates As one of the largest meat operations Locking-out as a response to strike ac- profit in a different way than investment in New Zealand, Talleys operates nine tion has become a reasonably common in plant and machinery. Capital invested AFFCO freezing works plants. For practice of employers across various in- in in labour is variable capital, meaning decades AFFCO has been a source of dustries, even in the service sector. How- the employer can vary the rate of exploi- employment in provincial areas and the ever ANZCO and Talleys-AFFCO have tation through labour intensification. workforce is often generational. Through used locking-out as the primary tactic, or Investment in plant and machinery is generations of genuine rank-and-file first step after the breakdown of negotia- constant capital, it is constant rather than unionism, freezing workers in AFFCO tions, as an ultimatum to attempt to get variable capital because it can only create as well as other plants owned by other workers to agree to clawed-back condi- a certain amount of profit relative to the meat processing companies were able to tions. The bosses’ position is that work- actual value or the machinery. The profits achieve relatively strong wages and con- ers will be locked out until submitting to derived from constant capital cannot be ditions by comparison to other indus- lowered conditions. varied through intensification as is the tries. case with profits derived from labour in- It’s correct to conclude that this is an tensification. On Febraury 29 the company locked out industry-wide struggle in which meat in- of over 700 workers which led to the be- dustry bosses – while perhaps not openly ginning of picketing on March 2 at the or consciously collaborating - have con- The dispute in context: The Moerewa (in Northland), Wiri (in South sciously decided to attempt to break neo-liberalisation of work Auckland), Horotiu (in North Waikato), union power. This is apparent in Talleys As is also occurring at the Ports of Auck- Rangiuru (near Te Puke), Hawkes Bay media statements where they have stated land Limited with employer attacks (at Napier), and Manawatu (at Field- that it is about ‘who manages the work- against the wharfies (stevedores) this ing), and Wairoa (in Northern Hawkes place’. Bay) plants. On March 2 the union cor- lockout is fundamentally about trying rectly called all members who were not to reduce the conditions and power of locked-out into strike action. In turn the Why more flexibility? workers in traditional union jobs down company then began locking-out strik- Talleys purchased the AFFCO plants to the flexibilised conditions and low ers who were not covered by the original last year and is demanding more flex- power of the broader workforce in New lockout notices, for example, a further ibility in the workplace. The company’s Zealand, but the workers’ unions are 200 more workers were locked-out at demand for greater flexibility is con- standing in the way. Rangiuru. The union then called further nected to its requirement for the right In relation to the Auckland port dispute 24-hour and 48-hour strikes including to manage. Companies like Talleys want TV One News ( January 31) reported those which started on March 6, March the right to discard union contract norms that “Businesses say it’s a battle between 12, and March 22. Daily pickets are tak- that provide work security and security old and new work practices” and Kim ing place at some plants. of hours to employees. Greater flexibility Campbell of the Employers and Manu- is then used to increase labour efficien- The Spark April 2012 11 Analysis/Queer liberation facturers Association said, “I think it’s do take a bigger share than other workers. ity. For example it breached the limita- or die personally, and that really is a se- Oppositely, the truth is that through tions contained in New Zealand’s em- rious matter...”. The Auckland ports di- their struggles, including their defensive ployment law on the use of replacement rector told TV3 News that “Our singu- struggles like those being fought at the labour during the Open Country Cheese lar focus is on addressing old-fashioned moment, these better-organised sections dispute in 2011. In New Zealand scab la- workplace practices that are a handbrake of the working class act to increase or bour can only be sourced from employees on flexibility and productivity.” defend the wage rates and conditions of already employed by the company that is Essentially employers are now going af- the entire working class. If the employ- party to a dispute. On appeal the Dairy ter core industrial workers in an attempt ers were to make gains against these core Workers Union won their case against to make those workers subject to the workers it is to the detriment of already- Talleys’ use of illegal scab labour but Tal- neo-liberal workplace conditions of job vulnerable workers as their own bosses leys then appealed to the Supreme Court insecurity, work insecurity (less guaran- get a green light to further erode their which wouldn’t hear Talleys’ appeal. teed hours of work), income insecurity, rights. This is why strong workers move- In July 2011 when the National Busi- individualisation of bonus’s and benefits ments operate on the ‘touch one, touch ness Review released its annual New and other elements of the neo-liberal all’ principle. Zealand Rich List, it reported that the work environment. When other parts However, that fact is that there is a tre- Talleys family had increased its wealth by of the workforce are unorganised and mendous amount of solidarity with $10 million over the previous year, which working in these conditions then the workers undergoing these attacks, with a was attributed to its 100% take-over of core workforce is more vulnerable to the number of recent surveys showing that AFFCO. The majority of New Zealand types of attacks that are happening now. more of the public support than oppose employers are anti-union and should be the workers. given no credit or thanks, or receive bet- Solidarity with the meat ter expectations from working people for being ‘Kiwi-owned’. workers benefits all workers New Zealand companies - no better for workers than The employer’s offensive is likely to con- Backward elements of the working class tinue and probably worsen in the coming deride workers in the meat industry, foreign ones period. The government has indicated ports, etc, because through pure back- There is a myth peddled by social demo- that there won’t be any reprieve in its re- wardness they think it’s somehow ‘fairer’ crats and sections of the union move- duction of union rights. Working people if core workers are reduced to the same ment that New Zealand employers are will lose if we just rely on core workers to low pay and poor conditions of work. more desirable than foreign ones. This carry the burden by themselves. As well Such an attitude, whilst obviously dis- myth masks the fact that antagonist so- as supporting the workers who are fight- compassionate, is also purely incorrect cial differences are between classes and ing back against direct attacks we argue and doesn’t comprehend that working not between nations or nationalities. In for the need to intensify union action people are oppressed as an entire class by this case, like in many industrial disputes, across the board and for a strategy to re- the entire capitalist class. the antagonism is between a New Zea- organise the entire working class against This means that there is no general wage land capitalist company and those who any and all employers which seek to drive outlay available for working people from work for it. down conditions. which meat workers and port workers Talleys is renowned for anti-union activ- Queer Avengers: Transphobia is bullshit

This article is by members of the Queer a part of Writers and Readers Week. “Transphobic feminism is so 20th Cen- Avengers, a queer activist group based in Glitter-bombing, or throwing glitter on tury,” asserted Stacey of the Queer Wellington and in which Workers Party public figures, has gained prominence Avengers. “It wasn’t okay then and it’s members are active. internationally as a way to highlight not okay now. Women’s liberation must transphobia and queerphobia. Greer has mean the right to refuse imposed gender a history of denouncing transwomen; roles, to fight for diverse gender expres- On March 14th at the Embassy Theatre, outing prominent transwomen and de- sion.” members of the Queer Avengers “glit- scribing them as “ghastly parodies” of The Queer Avengers also handed out ter-bombed” feminist* writer Germaine womanhood. leaflets stating “transphobia is bullshit.” Greer, who was touring New Zealand as Greer was arrested in 1972 while tour-

12 The Spark April 2012 Queer liberation ing New Zealand, for saying the word organised and developed a louder col- women on the trans spectrum, Greer “bullshit.” lective voice, many feminists dropped herself has become a “ghastly parody” of the overt transphobia. However Greer women’s liberation. Movements that dis- ‘Outing’ transwomen continues to insist on the importance of criminate against oppressed groups can- transphobia to women’s liberation. In a not not be part of serious social transfor- Over the 1980s and 1990s, Germaine 2009 article on Caster Semenya, a partic- mation. Greer participated in a witch-hunt ularly “blokish” sportswoman, Greer took against transwomen in prominent posi- the opportunity to take a swipe at trans- *The Workers Party is opposed to bour- tions. In 1996, Greer outed Rachel Pad- women by writing “Nowadays we are all geois feminism and forms of feminism man, a physicist at an all-women college likely to meet people who think they are that are anti-working class or discrimi- at Cambridge University. She stated that women, have women’s names, and femi- nate against particular gender or sexual the “dignity of this college is marred by nine clothes and lots of eyeshadow, who identities. this unfortunate event.” Greer apparently seem to us to be some kind of ghastly had no interest in the dignity of Rachel parody, though it isn’t polite to say so.” Padman, who survived Greer’s repeated By stubbornly continuing to attack tabloid attacks and retained her position at Cambridge.

Refusing imposed roles Greer treats gender variance as a threat to women’s liberation, stating in her book ‘The Whole Woman’ that by respecting the right to self-identify, a woman “weak- ens her claim to have a sex of her own.” Any vision of liberation that doesn’t re- spect the right to self-identify, to refuse imposed gender roles, will simply repro- duce oppression. We need to support lib- eration for all women, for all people, for the right to refuse all imposed roles.

Transphobia in the 21st Century As transfolk have become increasingly Germaine Greer after being glitter-bombed by queer activist group The Queer Avengers.

Minimum Security by Stephanie McMillian | http://stephaniemcmillan.org/

The Spark April 2012 13 Imperialism Afghanistan: Atrocity fuels opposition to occupation

The Workers Party supports the struggle his sleep and he shot him in this door- In the wake of these incidents, US lead- of ordinary Afghan people against the way,” she said. “Then they came back ers and their Afghan puppets are in dam- imperialist war and other imperialistic inside the room and put a gun in the age control. US President Barack Obama measures waged by the ruling classes of mouth of one child and stomped on an- claimed on March 13: “The United the West, including New Zealand. The other child.” States takes this as seriously as if it was following article is in response to the vil- Pajhwok Afghan News reported on our own citizens and our own children lage massacre carried out by a member March 15 that an Afghan parliamentary who were murdered. We’re heartbroken of the US army. It was written by Tony investigation found that between 15 and over the loss of innocent life. Iltis for the Australian left-wing maga- 20 US soldiers were involved in the at- “The killing of innocent civilians is out- zine Green Left Weekly (GLW) and first tack. rageous and it’s unacceptable.” appeared in GLW issue number 915. The massacre has galvanised Afghan However, he added that the US would opposition to the occupation. About not be speeding up its withdrawal of For the US military and the pro-war 2000 university students in Jalalabad on troops. Western corporate media, the March 11 March 13 protested, chanting “Death to Afghan politicians have echoed public slaughter of 16 civilians, nine of them America!” Reuters said the next day. anger at the US for taking Richard Bales, children, as they slept in their homes in the soldier charged with the massacre, the villages of Alkozai and Najeeban in For its part, the out of Afghanistan, rather than making him face an Afghan court. Panjwai district, Kandahar province, was Taliban has broken an aberration. The March 12 British Daily Telegraph off talks with the US. For Afghans, it was just the latest mas- reported that a statement by Afghnistan’s sacre. Intensely unpopular before parliament said: “We seriously demand There are differing accounts of what the US invasion, the and expect that the government of the happened. The US maintains the killings Taliban has regained some United States punish the culprits and try were the work of a single “rogue” soldier. support on the basis of them in a public trial before the people of “ Afghanistan.” Eyewitnesses, however, insist there was killing occupation soldiers. more than one attacker. Since the massacre, Afghan politicians have stridently condemned US violence. CNN reported on March 13 that the vil- On March 15, about 2000 protesters President Hamid Karzai called for “in- lagers had previously fled the area due took to the streets in Zabul province in ternational security forces … to be taken to fighting between US-led occupation the country’s south, the BBC said on out of Afghan village outposts and return forces and the Taliban. But they returned March 16. after assurances from commanders at the to [larger] bases”, Reuters reported on While the armed opposition of the Tali- nearby US base that the district was safe. March 15. ban and other Islamist militias receives However, as Afghanistan’s politicians Villagers agreed that there had been no attention in the Western press, unarmed from Karzai down are beholden to the Taliban in the district for months. anti-occupation protests have been US-led occupiers who installed them One of the villagers told CNN: “This steadily increasing in recent years. in power, Afghans are skeptical of this base told us to come back to our villages A focus has been US plans to officially rhetoric. … we will not bother you. This is your withdraw the US-led forces in 2014 but “Our government told us to come back to land, and this is your own village. But leave behind a network of US bases. these dogs came and grabbed us.” the village, and then they let the Ameri- These protests have been fuelled this cans kill us,” Abdul Samad, who lost 11 She said: “Four girls and four boys year by the appearance of video footage relatives in the massacre ― the youngest [killed]. They are 2-year-olds. Are these in January of US troops urinating on the aged just two ― told the March 12 New Talibs?” corpses of Afghans and the burning of York Times. Another eyewitness described the at- copies of the Koran taken from prison- On March 11, at the scene of the atrocity, tack’s sadism. ers at the US-run jail at Bagram Airbase, an elderly woman told AFP: “May God where detainees are routinely tortured. “One guy came in and pulled a boy from kill the only son of Karzai, so he feels

14 The Spark April 2012 Imperialism

what we feel.” who are raped and then their families are exceptional. The previous day, at least Afghans have more reasons than their forced to pay a ransom.” four civilians were killed in an occupa- association with the occupiers to hate Mohaqiq’s work in the Afghan parlia- tion force air strike in the Kapisa prov- their US-installed politicians. ment includes sponsoring a law “legally ince in north eastern Afghanistan, Press TV said. When the US invaded in 2001, despite authorising the rape and violence within rhetoric about a new era of democracy marriage” the CISDA statement says. Along with air strikes and night-raids by and human rights, the warlords it allies For its part, the Taliban has broken off the occupation forces, Afghan civilians with shared the Taliban’s misogynist and talks with the US. Intensely unpopular are also at risk of being killed by Taliban violent religious fundamentalist ideol- before the US invasion, the Taliban has attacks or fighting between warlords. ogy. These warlords differed from the regained some support on the basis of The biggest threats, however, are mal- Taliban only in being more corrupt and killing occupation soldiers. nutrition, disease and freezing to death less united. The US has been trying to draw them ― making a mockery of the occupiers’ For example, in a statement protesting into the puppet regime. But as the Tali- claims to be bringing development and against the March 16-17 visit to Italy ban’s new credibility is tied to its armed raising questions as to where the billions of Afghan politician Mohammed Mo- opposition to Western forces, its involve- of dollars sent for that purpose have haqiq, Italian feminist Afghan solidarity ment in a US-imposed settlement is de- gone. group CISDA pointed out: “The men of pendent on being able to claim credit for In the midst of this, unarmed protests by Mohaqiq are known and feared espe- forcing the occupation forces to leave. Afghans continue against the occupiers cially for the abduction of girls, attacking The March 11 Panjwai massacre was not and the warlords. female students on their way to school,

Afghans mourning the victims of the massacres common in Afghanistan.

The Spark April 2012 15 International news Senegal goes to the polls for second time after months of protest

Byron Clark in Libya. Of those dictators of course, portant gains. only Assad remains, due to the extremely When asked by a journalist what would violent repression against protesters in happen in the country if Abdoulaye Last February, The Spark reported on the Syria. The others were toppled by popu- Wade won another term, Nando da Sil- Occupy Nigeria protests that were tak- lar uprisings, providing inspiration to va, a 19 year old student, mouthed the ing place. Nigeria is not the only African countries further south. sound of an explosion: “Boom!” country where massive demonstrations ‘Democracy Recession’ are erupting, indeed some commentators, As we go to press, Wade has just con- such as Al Jazzera are starting to talk of In the decades following independence, ceded defeat. an ‘African Spring’ similar to the ‘Arab many African countries became dicta- Spring’ of 2011. As a continent subjected torships. By the 1980s there was a shift BACKGROUND ON toward more democratic, multi-party to colonial exploitation for over a cen- SENEGAL systems, but those gains have been de- tury, and neo-colonial exploitation ever  A significant source of slaves for the teriorating in recent years, as such Sen- since, Africa has many reasons to rebel. greater part of a millennium, first by egal’s election is being watched closely. Protests have flared up in Senegal, cen- Arab traders and later by European ones “Across Africa as a whole, it sends a tered on Independence Square in the (predominantly British and French). signal,” Abdul Tejan-Cole, Dakar-based capital, Dakar, but large enough to ex- regional director for Africa of the Open  In the colonial era Senegal passed be- tend much further, with demonstrators Society Foundation told Reuters. tween Britain and France, but for most seizing control of a three block stretch of of that period was a French colony, only Opposition parties, civil society organi- road during a clash with police. The tar- gaining full independence in 1960. get of these protests is president Abdou- sations and others have joined together  Several attempts to integrate with laye Wade, who at 86 years old is run- in the June 23 Movement (M23), taking other West African countries were made ning for his third term in office. While its name from protests last year which in the latter half of the 20th century, but an election was held in February, a new were successful in preventing constitu- none of these were successful. election has already been called. tional amendments that would have al- lowed Wade to further entrench his rule. Governed by a socialist party for the 40 Many Senegalese believe that Abdoulaye The movement is made up of groups year period between independence and is preparing his son to take power when with different and sometimes opposing the election of Wade in 2000. Wade has he dies, setting up a “neo-monarchy” interests. It remains to be seen whether made a dozen constitutional amend- similar to that accomplished by Assad in the alliance will continue after the elec- ments in that time to retain power. Syria and attempted by Ben Ali in Tu- tion or succumb to internal differences, nisia, Murabak in Egypt and Qaddafi but for the time being it is making im-

Protesters at an anti-government protest

16 The Spark April 2012 Theory The dialectical relationship between work and mental health – Part 4

This is the final part of a four-part series thesis, can be opposed by an antithesis every economic system to date, that as by Kelly Pope the combination of which results in syn- it works towards maximum efficiency, thesis as their mutual truths are recon- it begins to create social issues within ciled. Marxian dialectics is similar in that itself that will cause it to fall apart and From a Marxist perspective, the low pay “it includes in its comprehension an af- be replaced. Regarding mental health rates of jobs with low psycho-social qual- firmative recognition of the existing state and illness, decreasing well-being for the ity is related to the concept of exploita- of things, at the same time, also, the rec- mental health consumer population (and tion – the necessity for wages to be worth ognition of the negation of that state, of wider society as well) comes as a result less than the value created by the work- its inevitable breaking up” (Marx,1873). of employment, as employment is struc- er’s labour, in order to continue to make Marx, however, conceived this primar- tured under the current economic system. a profit. A further component of employ- ily in relation to the economic order of Some of the examples of the positive im- ment’s potential detriment to mental any period which, as moving towards a pact of occupation mentioned in earlier health, well-being and recovery which is state of maximum efficiency will develop parts of this series highlight this. As an not covered in the research carried out weaknesses or contradictions within it example, for the GROW participants by Butterworth and other (see part 3), is that bring about its decay. interviewed in the research by Kelly and workers’ experiences of alienation. In his In response to the Hegelian dialectic others, reciprocity, social connectedness book which looks at work and sickness, issue of work and health being at time and achievement associated were with Paul Bellaby discusses the way in which synonymous, and on other occasions mu- employment, however their occupation jobs can accentuate certain qualities of tually exclusive, policy has looked to re- was in unpaid peer support outside of the the body and mind, but can also depre- solve the internal conflict through mod- competitive labour market. ciate others. A participant from one of erate reforms. An example of this from The decreased mental well-being that the qualitative interviews quoted in this Brittan, is the Independent Inquiry into mental health consumers experience in book talks about alienation with great Inequalities in Health Report published their occupations is largely in the low clarity, as well as its impact on well-being 1998 which recommends policies which psycho-social quality, low paid jobs in as a worker undertaking solitary tasks. “improve the opportunities for work and which they disproportionately work. As You hardly talk to anyone. You have no which ameliorate the health consequenc- the Mental Health Foundation notes, idea what is happening around you – and es of unemployment...[and] improve the unpaid work, while linked with im- you lose touch with what is happening quality of jobs and reduce psycho-social proved mental health, has limitiations in the world. After a while it gets so that work hazards” (Acheson, 2000). In New as it will not allow people to provide for you have no conversation, and when you Zealand similar goals have been asserted themselves, and gains in well-being are go out socially you do not know what to by the consumer movement in the pub- less than those experienced by people say – eventually you lose all your self- lication Our Lives in 2014: A Recovery working in decent paid positions, “while confidence. (Bellaby) Vision from People with Experience of voluntary work was recognised as an She also described feelings of exploita- Mental Illness (Mental Health Com- option, paid work was seen to have in- tion adding that “at the factory, they mission, 2004). While not advocat- creased benefits, such as people “being didn’t seem to care about any of this – all ing for specific policy in this particular part of mainstream society” (Peterson for they wanted out of you was ‘more, more, document, the goals of the authors and the Mental Health Foundation, cited in more!’” (Bellaby). The apparent contra- the wider mental health community Banks 2011). A question we can be ask- diction of work being simultaneously a expressed call for equal opportunity to ing ourselves is: how can we maximise potential means of improving and erod- work on the open labour market with the the positive experiences of employment ing mental health as understood through support needed to work successfully, in- or occupation for mental health consum- a recovery and well-being framework, creasing average income and less reliance ers while eliminating the negative im- suggests the need for a dialectical analy- on income support. pacts of unequal power relations? sis of this relationship. Hegelian dialec- In the application of Marxian dialec- In reality, this is a question that the men- tic theory holds that contradictions are tics to mental health, the mental health tal health community has already been inherent in philosophical considerations, employment situation is merely indica- addressing, and with positive outcomes. and that any intellectual proposition or tive of a larger contradiction inherent in The establishment of Mad Markets in

The Spark April 2012 17 Theory the United States and utilisation of time problematic in that they do not address What remains for the mental health bank and local exchange trading schemes initial wealth inequalities and the finan- community to work towards is a greater by mental health consumers has allowed cial capital available to different sectors task than bringing these alternatives out for the dual benefit of experiencing posi- of, or individuals in society. It is also dif- of the margins. Bringing about radical tive aspects of occupation outlined in the ficult to imagine a situation where all change to the way we do work as a so- first part of this series, whilst avoiding mental health consumers or people neg- ciety supports recovery for the mental the detrimental impacts of exploitation atively effected by their working condi- health consumer and benefits the well- and alienation characteristic of capitalist tions can opt out of paid employment in being of society on the whole. labour markets. These forms of alterna- favour of providing products or services tive market engagement are somewhat as an individual in an exchange market. Socialism 2012 A weekend of radical ideas and discussion

2012 brings with it the events of the past year, the Occupy movement, the Arab Spring and the ongoing effects of the global financial crisis. Understanding these issues, knowing the problem, is one of the first steps in successfully challenging the status quo, challenging Capitalism. There’ll be a mix of local and international speakers. So join us for a wide ranging series of discussions over Queen’s Birthday Weekend.

Topics including but not limited to:

-Class struggle today: -Socialist work in local unemployment, government neoliberalism, industrial -Capitalist education system disputes -World situation: -Revolutionary organising in imperialism, global financial current conditions crisis -Safer spaces on the left -Queer liberation -Eco-socialism in Australasia -Maori liberation

Newtown Community Centre Newtown, Wellington Cnr Columbo St and Rintoul St Queens Birthday Weekend, 1-3 June www.workersparty.org.nz

18 The Spark April 2012 Culture Interview: Marika Pratley on An Unfortunate Willingness to Agree

Workers Party member Marika Prat- ideas in an artwork so applied for the job. Political music work is something I have ley was nominated for an award for shied away from in the past. I think this composition in the play An Unfortunate is partly because institutions are more The Spark: How did you get into music Willingness to Agree which ran at the concerned with you developing aesthetic in the first place? Fringe Festival from 27 Feb 2012 to 2 related technique than concept-related Mar 2012. The production won a Fringe ideas of music. Also my style is not usu- MP: award for Best Dance and received an I started learning piano at kinder- ally dealing with text or lyrics, so in order honorable mention for Sound Design. garten. It was not until high school I to make a political point I would need to The Spark interviewed Marika about got into writing my own music, which work with images or another art form. I music and politics. was more avant garde focused and influ- am quite keen to take up the challenge enced by many genres, especially Greek and explore this further though. and Classical music. I decided to pursue The Spark:What attracted you to this a Bachelor of Music majoring in Com- The Spark: What other projects have you project? position when I was in my final year of got coming up? school and involve myself as much as I can in many different musical commu- MP: An Unfortunate Willingness to nities. Since then my style has evolved MP: One of the dancers asked me to col- Agree was an opportunity for me to ex- quite a bit and I have become more inter- laborate with him on his choreography plore writing music for a contemporary ested in sonic arts, i.e. weird noises and work which will premier at Te Whaea dance show that was concerned with ex- abstracted work. in May, but aside from that I am mainly ploring political themes. Oliver Connew just focusing on band work. I am hoping (director) was interested in ideas relating however to start work soon on a Palestine to social alienation, for example what The Spark: How do you think your poli- themed exhibition with a sound-based caused things like the London Riots and tics intersect with your creative work? component. This is still in its early stages Occupy movements, and how distanced though and I am trying to find other art- people are from what happens in politics MP: This particular case was my first ‘go’ ists to collaborate with. I also have a side (i.e. the government) and the mainstream at writing music with a political theme. project for fun that is inspired by sloths. media. I was attracted to exploring these

Marika playing with her band Reptilian Future Cops.

The Spark April 2012 19 Commentary New research into ethics and class: the rich are more likely to cut you off while driving and take candy from children

Kelly Pope, Workers Party, Christchurch than people of the ‘middle’ and lower and were told that after the room was va- classes did. cated it would be used by a group of chil- In tests aimed to measure the actual (not dren, and though a large jar of lollies in With increasing industrial and social self-reported) ethical behaviour of par- the room was for this group, participants action against inequality taking place ticipants, two practical driving tasks were would be welcome to take some candy as around the world, one outcome has been set. Compared to other drivers, results they left. In this study, upper class par- a shift in the focus of research towards showed upper class participants to be ticipants took twice as much of the chil- the issues these movements and cam- four times more likely to cut other mo- dren’s candy than other participants. paigns are highlighting. For example, in torists off at a busy intersection and three Discussing why upper class participants psychology and ethics there has been a times more likely to drive through a pe- were more likely to act unethically, doc- recent emphasis on exploring the rela- destrian crossing where people waited. In toral student and lead author of the re- tionship between wealth distribution or another study, participants were asked to search paper, Paul Piff explained, “The class and a range of behaviours and dis- role play an employment situation. Par- increased unethical tendencies of upper- positions that are considered pro-social ticipants were asked to act the role of an class individuals are driven, in part, by and ethical, or anti-social and immoral. employer in an interview situation and their more favorable attitudes toward Research that has recently featured in were given information about the job greed.” A seventh study by the Berkeley the media found that employers are four which they could share with the appli- researchers illustrated this clearly. Partic- times as likely as the general population cants, including the knowledge that the ipants given examples of unethical work- to have anti-social personality disorder, position would soon be made redundant. place behaviour such as stealing money, the condition experienced by people of- In their negotiations with candidates overcharging customers and accepting ten referred to as psychopaths, which is expressing a desire for stable, long term bribes were more likely to express a will- characterised by impulsivity, manipula- work, upper class participants were sig- ingness to engage in these behaviours tive behaviour and the inability to empa- nificantly less likely to disclose the tem- when primed to think about the advan- thise with others. Looking more deeply porary nature of the position than others, tages of greed regardless of their socio- into the relationship between socio-eco- indicating an increased tendency to de- economic class. nomic class and anti-social behaviour, ceive people where they held the power researchers at the University of Califor- in a relationship. nia, Berkeley have carried out a series of More reasons why our class should be in Two further studies supported these find- studies, all of which have shown unethi- control. ings. In one computer task, participants cal behaviour to be more prevalent in the took part in a gambling- upper classes. type game where dice In six studies carried out on the Berke- were rolled to receive a ley campus and nationwide, one thou- score. Researchers lim- sand participants who identified as being ited the game so that, in from lower, middle and upper class back- five rolls, no more than grounds took part in surveys and tasks twelve points would be aimed to explore their ethical behaviour. accumulated. When par- In one survey, participants answered sur- ticipants reported their vey questions designed to measure their scores, upper class par- attitude towards unprincipled behaviours ticipants tended to score and greed. In another questionnaire, par- higher than possible, ticipants were given scenarios of unscru- indicating that they had pulous behaviour and reported on how either cheated or lied to often they acted in these ways. Upper obtain these results. In class participants noted their tendency the other study, partici- to replicate these behaviours more often pants filled out a survey

20 The Spark April 2012