More than a thousand people rallied outside Parliament today in opposition to the government's plans to extend the 90-day fire-at-will law to all workplaces. Other protests are taking place across the country. Its good, but its not enough. We've seen what we need to change the government's mind - 50,000 people marching up Queen Street. And that was on something it ultimately didn't care about that much. Lowering wages and removing all worker protections, OTOH, is part of National's core agenda. It'll take a lot more than a thousand people to change their minds.
Meanwhile, there's a chilling reminder of industrial relations under National, with DHBs walking out of negotiations with radiographers, then demanding they be forbidden to strike. In other words, make them slaves. This is unlikely to make reaching a settlement easier. If DHBs want to avoid the sorts of problems they have identified, then they need to pay radiographers what they are worth. In the meantime, my advice is don't break a leg.
