[P2P-F] Together, an approach to the precariat

Wed Jul 27 09:28:12 CEST 2011

http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/together/

Dear Orsan, this looks like a really important initiative, could you report
on it for the p2p blog?

see:

**

Together <http://www.together.org.nz/> is a national service that is being
developed for the
“precariat<http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/precariat/>”
— that rapidly growing cohort of workers who do not fit into the standard
labourist model of industrial capitalism. Because it is being developed at
the national level, with affiliates’ buy-in, it cuts across regional,
sectoral and strategic lines. In particular, it aims to bring together:

   - People on casual contracts;
   - Those in industries like IT, tourism or in small shops, or driving
   taxis;
   - Contractors and workers in remote areas and small towns who don’t
   currently have access to a union;
   - The families of current union members.

Membership costs just $NZ 1 per week, which is roughly 20% of typical union
fees in New Zealand. (One kiwi dollar is equivalent to about $US0.87 or
£UK0.53 or ¥68). Family membership is also on offer, bringing a still larger
audience back into unionism’s traditional orbit. In fact, the word they use
here is “whānau”, which is a Maori word suggesting something more like
“extended family”. So, for instance, if mum or dad is a union member, they
can also arrange union support for their children, uncles and aunts,
cousins, nephews and nieces and grandchildren.

As affiliated unions sign up to support and promote the system, they sign a
“Memorandum of Commitment<http://www.newunionism.net/library/organizing/NZCTU%20-%20Together%20-%20Memorandum%20of%20Commitment%20-%202011.doc>”
(click to download). This is they key document to read, if you want to
understand how Together works. Needless to say, there are all kinds of
potential conflicts and pitfalls and fishhooks in a project like this. It is
a credit to the kiwis that they’ve managed to negotiate such concerns and
get Together off the ground. **

Will this be “the missing link “– a clear route between the precariat and
the mainstream of the labour movement? If not, will it become the first step
of something that evolves further? It is far too early to make any
meaningful assessment of the project, but, as the great Anon once said:
*“The best map in the world will not get you anywhere. Only going will get
you there.”*

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