Something Kerry Prendergast would never do but new Mayor Celia Wade-Brown went down to Parliament on Wednesday to join the 22,000 protesters showing their distain for National’s pro-employer industrial relations policies.
“MPs from the Labour and Green parties attended the protest outside Parliament but didn’t make speeches.
Wellington mayor-elect Celia Wade-Brown spoke of how being a Fair Trade city meant fairness for all workers, and had to apply at home as well.
Labour MP Trevor Mallard said the protests reflected the anger of tens of thousands of New Zealanders at the Government’s co-ordinated process to drive down pay and conditions for wage and salary earners.
“It’s the exact opposite of what National promised before the election.”
Labour would reverse the laws if returned to power, he said.
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said Government policies were beginning to shift the balance of power away from workers.”
Word of warning. Please Mayor, next time don’t stand so close to the CTU President, Helen Kelly, or an Orc may get you by mistake. It may be an unemployed Orc, but it will be an angry one.
An angry Orc today.
WCC Watch 
It’ll be interesting to see if Wade-Brown will rule out the use of the 90 day rule at the WCC and implement employment practices in line with Green employment law policy. I’ll believe it when I see it.
While that may well be a highly desirable outcome, it’s the Chief Executive that has the responsibility to hire and fire (and set the HR policies) rather than the Mayor or elected Councillors. As I understand it, it’s simply not in the power of our elected representatives to do this under the Local Government Act.
That’s technically correct on the micro level – the CE hires and fires and negotiates terms and conditions.
However, there’s nothing stopping the council setting out its expectations to the CE of what constitutes its preferred approach to industrial relations. If the CE doesn’t take this on-board there’s the option of not renewing his contract and zeroing his bonuses and pay rises
This is what’s happened in central govt, although in the opposite direction, when Ministers have told CEs to restrain wage growth.
Well noted Kent. Its refreshing to have a bit of rational sanity on this site at times, in contrast to the somewhat ridiculous emotional and ill informed outpourings that do appear. While I dont agree with a lot of what you stand for you do demonstrate a high degree of principle. And if by association is anything to go by, as with Celia, a high degree of integrity.
So Peter Parker supports ‘Clarke’ Kent? Isn’t that a abominable mix of the Marvel and DC comic book universes?
Easy ….. richard. You will wind him up, and you know what happens then…..