1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Good afternoon. So we've had the biggest strike in forty 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: six years, with an estimated one hundred thousand workers walking 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: off the job today. Unfortunately for the teachers and the 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: doctors and the nurses and the prison staff and all 5 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: the other healthcare personnel striking. The weather's disrupted the rallies 6 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: and parts of the country. Now the ends at eis 7 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: Liam rather fitters with us on this Hey Liam. 8 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 2: Talking again, It's. 9 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: Good to have you on the show mate has turned 10 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: into a bit of a fizzer. 11 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 2: Then, oh, definitely not. I mean, we had one hundred 12 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 2: thousand people delivering a pretty loud, clear message. Although granted 13 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: it would have been nice to be on the floor 14 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: Court of Parliament in Wellington, but health and safety took 15 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 2: precedent and it's been great following all of the rallies 16 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: that have happened around the country. 17 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I wonder if it's a bit of a fizzer 18 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: because the weather has obviously stopped the most important rally, 19 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: which is in Wellington, but also because I don't know 20 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: if you did the right thing doing it on the 21 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: Thursday before a long weekend, because a bunch of parents 22 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: have just taken a really long weekend now and aren't 23 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: too fussed about it. 24 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. Actually, I think we've been really heartened by the 25 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 2: parent support that we've had. I was in Parmas the 26 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: North today that we didn't have any rain, but we 27 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 2: had a lot of wind and the number of parents 28 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 2: and kids that were out there supporting us. We actually 29 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 2: had a parent get up there and speak and talk 30 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 2: about the importance of having education and health funded to 31 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 2: a level that's actually meeting the needs of people. And 32 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: so we were quite heartened with how the days panned out. 33 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: Okay, so are you guys going to go back to 34 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: the negotiating table now that you've got this one out 35 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: of your system. 36 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think it's really clear that we get on 37 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 2: the record that we've never left the negotiating table. We 38 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: had three afternoons last week the primary teachers did trying 39 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: to get an offer out of the PSC, and we've 40 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 2: got dates to go back in the coming weeks as well, 41 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 2: and so we hope that the strike action is actually 42 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 2: going to put the pressure on the government because it's 43 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 2: the PSC that are in a bit of a in 44 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: a bit of a tight spot because they haven't been 45 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: given the tools and the resources to be able to 46 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: get the settled. 47 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: How would do this put pressure on the government. 48 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: Well, what we're hearing out there is that the government 49 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 2: investing in education and health is something that's incredibly popular 50 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: in the eyes of voters, and so it was an 51 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 2: eye on the election. 52 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: That's like asking, do you want to be a billionaire? 53 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: Of course we do. This is not possible. But because 54 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: what I'm saying to you is I don't think people 55 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: are angry enough to put pressure on the government. 56 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, but what I'm saying is that the position that 57 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: we are in is because of the choices that the 58 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 2: government has made. Everybody does support more funding going into 59 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,839 Speaker 2: education and health. But I think what people have picked 60 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 2: up on and where we do see the anger coming 61 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 2: from our communities is that they have prioritized giving money 62 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 2: to landlords and to tobacco tax cuts and the highest 63 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: income earners. People see that as an opportunity cost for 64 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 2: money that should be going into education and health. 65 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: Hey, so, how many more strikes are you prepared to do? 66 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: Oh? Look, that'll be in the eyes of the members. 67 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: At the stage, we're really focused to getting back around 68 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 2: the table. We're hoping that the government is going to 69 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: come to the party and give the res a listen 70 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: to the Public Service Commission to get an offer that's 71 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: going to land, and if we don't end up in 72 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 2: that space, it'll be up to members as to what 73 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: they want to do next. 74 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: Okay, Liam, thanks so much for your time. Liam Rutherford 75 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: endz Adi. That's the primary school teachers and Principles lead 76 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: negotiate out. 77 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. 78 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: Listen live to News Talks 'd B from four pm weekdays, 79 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.