Press Release May 1st 2002
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY...
Today is May 1st: Mayday, international workers day, a day when we celebrate our resistance to capitalism. As part of
the Wellington Carnival Against Capitalism we are protesting against Business NZ, the largest and most influential
business or capitalist lobby group in New Zealand today.
WHAT IS BUSINESS NZ AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
Business NZ is the national body of the Employers’ and Manufacturers Associations. Business NZ is the product of a
recent merger of the Manufacturers Federation and the New Zealand Employers’ Federation. It is composed of many regional
business associations, including the Employers’ and Manufacturers Associations (Northern and Central), the Canterbury
Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, the Otago Southland Employers’ Association, and so on. It calls itself the policy and
advocacy wing of these business associations ; it lobbies government, issues press releases, and so on, to promote the
interests of its wealthy members. Basically, its main activity is to pressure government to continue and expand the New
Right war on the poor.
WHAT DOES BUSINESS NZ STAND FOR?
More profits for themselves (the rich capitalist few) by cutting wages promoting worse working conditions. It wants to
stop workers getting better health and safety conditions at work, as well as more pay on statutory holidays. lowering
taxes for the rich reducing government spending on things that (well, sort of) meet our needs; like health and
education. It wants more user pays & market rents for state housing. increasing government spending on things that predominantly meet the needs of the rich
eg. government support for business (ie. corporate or capitalist welfare); better transport infrastructure so goods can
be transported faster and cheaper for more profit. privatisation of public assets, especially those owned by local
governments more free trade agreements. For example, it aims to have a free trade agreement with the USA by 2005. These
agreements predominantly benefit the wealthy. anti-union legislation. It opposes the tiny elements of the Employment
Relations Act that are positive for unions and workers. reducing protection for the environment and the introduction of
Genetically Engineered biotechnology.
The predecessor to Business NZ ; the NZEF ; was at the forefront of pushing for the Employment Contracts Act and
benefit cuts in 1991. It has also actively supported the other features of the post-1984 New Right agenda, such as the
fiscal envelope rip-off of working class Maori.
IS WHAT’S GOOD FOR BUSINESS NZ GOOD FOR US?
Business NZ claims to promote economic growth for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Bollocks! Overall Business NZ are a
greedy bunch of capitalists (people who own and control the resources of society) who are only after more profits for
themselves. The aims of Business NZ only reflect the self-interest of a few capitalists. As capitalists, they make a
profit out of exploiting us and nature, and want to accelerate this process. New Right reforms advocated by Business NZ
have produced a society with the fastest growing rate of inequality in the First World, a society where the rich are
much richer at our expense: 80% of us are worse off than we were in 1984.
THE THIRD WAY: CAPITALISM WITH A SMILEY FACE
But what about the Business Roundtable? Surely, they are more influential than Business NZ? This was the case a few
years ago, but the political climate has changed. As Helen Clark and the Labour Party promote the third way between the
evils of welfare state capitalism and free market capitalism, extremist New Right lobby groups for the rich few like the
Business Roundtable have become unpopular. The third way agenda ; which is the same old New Right agenda of more wealth
for the rich and less for the poor, except with a nice new caring, sharing image ; suits Business NZ perfectly. They can
sell themselves as less nasty as the Business Roundtable whilst continuing to promote the very same bash the workers & the poor policies of the Business Roundtable!
BEYOND THE CRAPITALIST SHITSTEM
In the end, capitalist interest groups like Business NZ aren’t all that important. What is important is that capitalism
is an exploitative system, and we need to get rid of it! Lots of people are realising this. With the New Right ;
capitalism with its gloves off ; we are being to work harder, longer and for less pay, and suffering from more lay-offs,
poverty, disease and hunger, not to mention the brink of an ecological crisis. But we don’t take this lying down.
Everyday, we resist capitalism’s dreary drill of submission and oppression, through things like go-slows, phoning in
sick, or going out on strike. When this resistance becomes more open and visible, then an anti- capitalist rebellion or
maybe even revolution ; which aims at satisfying the needs and desires of all ; becomes possible. A new world is
possible!
BUSINESS NZ are located at level 6, Microsoft House, 3-11 Hunter Street, Wgtn, ph 496-6555, website
http://www.businessnz.org.nz/ for MAY DAY AND ANTI-CAPITALIST RESOURCES, check out
http://aotearoa.wellington.net.nz/mayday/ and http://www.infoshop.org or visit the Freedom Shop at 272 Cuba St.
Care2 make the world greener! mayday wellington http://aotearoa.wellington.net.nz/mayday / http://www.care2.com - Get
your Free e-mail account that helps save Wildlife!
Ends