90 minutes to stop ninety days

Thousand of workers will converge on Aotea square today at 12:30 for 90 minutes, in a landmark event in the new unionism.

They’ll be protesting the National Party’s 90 Day No-Rights Bill and celebrating their rights as working New Zealanders and will include members from the EPMU, NDU, SFWU, and Unite.

EPMU National Secretary, Andrew Little, says this joint union mass rally is another sign of increased activism among unions and their members. “There hasn’t been a union event like this for at least 20 years and it’s incredibly significant that so many people from so many unions are mobilising to defend their rights in the political arena.

“Ordinary working New Zealanders are actively standing up to one of the most savage attacks on their rights ever – they’re part of a new activist unionism,” he says.

NDU National Secretary, Laila Harre, agrees, “This Bill is the biggest attack on workers’ rights since the nineties and stopping it goes hand in hand with ending youth rates and getting a $12 an hour minimum wage which will help undo some of the damage National caused back then.”

The rally will run from approximately 12.30 to 2pm in the square and will start with two marches: one from Queen St entrance of Myers park at 12:20 and one from Victoria Street outside the NZ Post building at 12pm that will include NZ Post workers and Sky city Workers.

Rallying workers will squeeze into the Town Hall if the weather is wet.

ENDS

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