NZ Workers…
ROLLED OVER AGAIN
430 More Workers Sacrificed to "Free Trade"
South Pacific Tyres
, Upper Hutt, is the latest in the continuing line of manufacturers to be axed.The announced closure of the factory followed just after the Exide battery plant in Petone announced it would no longer be producing batteries, because of cheap imports and the destruction of the NZ motor industry.
Goodyear, South Pacific Tyre’s US based owner, said that the closure is the result of competition from cheap overseas sources.
According to media reports, Goodyear said it would be closing plants world-wide to cut costs. This means closing plants in Western countries, to relocate to the slave economies of Asia.
CAUSES
Although South Pacific Tyres sold 30% of its production to the NZ market, one of the major problems goes back to the relocation of the NZ car assembly industry to Asia for the profits of foreign stockholders.
We need a NZ owned vehicle industry, and NZ made tyres & batteries to supply it.
But the Labour Government, no less than National, is committed to the "global free market". What is the "free market"? It’s the control of the world’s economy by a few global corporations, which have the freedom to move their factories and investments in and out of countries to wherever the cheapest labour can be found.
When decisions are made in overseas boardrooms, no government can honestly promise economic security and employment.
We’re told that NZ cannot compete with Asian manufacturing, and that we should become nothing more than a "service economy" to supply the materials for processing in overseas sweat shops, for the benefit of global Big Business. This is praised as giving opportunities for a few patent lawyers, IT specialists and CEOs. What of the mass of unemployed menial workers? They’ll be told to go on some useless WINZ course to keep the unemployment statistics down.
LABOUR’S BETRAYAL
Unions are saying the Labour Government needs a ‘strategy for manufacturing’. But it’s the Labour Government that is committed to free trade for the profits of Big Business.
The Unions have continued to support the Labour Government. The Unions continue to levy members’ contributions to fund the Labour Party. They continue to urge their members to vote Labour.
Paul Swain MP now states that he is shocked and surprised by the SPT closure. But this is precisely the result of the policies of his Government. This is exactly what is to be expected in a globalised economy, where cheap imports are encouraged and companies are controlled from outside NZ. What role did he play when he was a Cabinet Minister? He PROMOTED free trade with Asia – PROMOTED competition from sweated labour.
NEW POLICY NEEDED
NZ needs "economic nationalism". We need to: (1) Protect the home market from cheap imports. (2) Increase wages so that NZ goods can be purchased in NZ. (3) Invest Government funds in manufacturing, and control foreign ownership.
Sack the Labour Government
NEW RIGHT
Box 39046 Wellington Mail Centre, Petone
($5 for information)
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