NEW ZEALAND: New left regroupment initiative

Peter Boyle, Auckland

The first national Workers Charter conference, attended by more than 100 activists, was held on October 22 in Auckland. The draft charter (see <http://workerscharter.org.nz> ) was endorsed and will now be taken around the country for further discussion and amendment at another open conference in a year's time.

The conference decided to ask activists in each locality to establish regional branches of the Workers Charter, to convene a national committee to coordinate events, publish a broad left newspaper from 2006 and to start organising in solidarity with worker struggles. Campaign ideas included a minimum wage campaign ("$12 now, not in 2008"), the abolition of youth rates, support for Air NZ jobs under threat, and a Workers Charter "roadshow" early next year.

Key organisers included the new Unite union (which has organised 4600 previously non-unionised workers, see <http://unite.org.nz>) led by Matt McCarten and Grant Morgan from the Socialist Worker group. Prominent independent leftists — such as John Minto (a leader of the Halt All Racist Tours campaign against the 1981 Springbok tour), left-wing media commentator Chris Trotter and several long-time trade union, environmentalist and social justice activists — are also involved.

"This is a new political movement that takes us beyond the single-issue campaigns", Morgan told the conference. It was a "response to real political motion in the working class", including recent pay struggles and a "Maori flaxroots revolt".

Mike Treen, a Unite organiser, described the proposed Workers Charter publication as a "solidarity-organising newspaper" and the Charter branches as "spaces for building solidarity".

McCarten said the movement should place the working poor at the centre of its campaigns, citing the low 9% unionisation rate in the private sector and the less than 1% unionisation of young workers.

Three Australian Socialist Alliance members attended the conference, including Geelong Trades and Labour Council secretary Tim Gooden.

From Green Left Weekly, November 2, 2005.

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From GLW issue 647