The NZ Trade Union Federation is pleased with the result of Saturday's election said its President Maxine Gay.

"At last we can close the door on a decade of the politics of meanness, divisiveness and greed," said Maxine Gay.

The Trade Union Federation had urged its 25,000 members to vote for the Labour or Alliance Party. We were also committed to seeing a strong Alliance vote so it genuinely would become the heart of a new Government.

"While we understand that legislative changes such as the repeal of the Employment Contracts Act, may take some time, there are some immediate and bold steps that we expect the new Government to take. These include the raising of the minimum wage by Order in Council before Christmas, the abolition of work for the dole, an increase to the unemployed and other benefits," said Maxine Gay.

"We also seek the immediate convening of industry summits, so that Government, Trade Unions and Employers can work together on plans to halt the decline of manufacturing and service industries and the consequent job losses. For industries such as clothing the need is urgent to prevent total collapse.

"The Trade Union Federation has a very good working relation ship with the Alliance Party and we are sure with the result of the General Election combined with the change in leadership of the Council of Trade Unions we can build a solid bloc of the two trade union centres and the two coalition parties to begin to implement a pro-worker agenda.

For further information please contact: Maxine Gay, tel: (04) 389 5399 (h), (04) 237 5062 (w), (025) 276 9225 (m)

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>