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Reposted by Amanda Reilly

Larry Savage @profsavage.bsky.social · 3d

The advantages of unionization are obvious, so why don’t more workers join unions?

Employer-led union suppression strategies are a key explanatory factor.

theconversation.com/the-advantag...

#canlab

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · 11d

Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design and the Law. "This is going on my TBR list. "It explains how laws fail to address deceptive design practices and explores the implications for privacy, autonomy and consumer protection in the digital age" www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dark-patt...

Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design, and the Law

This book provides essential insights on dark patterns and AI-powered deceptive design for anyone who wants to understand and challenge the pervasive influence…

www.bloomsbury.com

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · 12d

So it's not just in New Zealand this happens...

David J. Doorey (aka The Law of Work) @thelawofwork.bsky.social · 12d

No better way to weaken enforcement of protective labour statutes like employment standards, health and safety, and human rights than starving the administrative machinery assigned to enforcing those statutes.

Strategy as old as time.

www.thestar.com/politics/pro...

Ford government caps new hires for agencies, boards and commissions

After "significant growth" in new employees, the Ontario government has announced a hiring crackdown in its 143 agencies, boards and commissions — arms-length organizations that have a sweeping impact...

www.thestar.com

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · 12d

I'm cautiously optimistic proposed changes to the Holidays Act are sensible.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/24/h...
But in Australia casual employees get 25% casual loading on top of their base rate to compensate for insecurity & absence of paid sick leave & annual leave- so there is room for improvement.

How the Holidays Act overhaul will change sick leave rights and how time off is paid

Explainer: The sweeping changes planned for the complex way full and part-time workers get paid for holiday and sick leave, by Alice Peacock.

newsroom.co.nz

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · 28d

Uber drivers are going to strike on 13 September due to unfair pay rates, cleaning fee reimbursements policies excessive working hours and lack of representation and transparency in Uber's policies.

I hope Uber listens.

www.hcamag.com/nz/specialis...

Uber drivers to strike over alleged unfair pay rates

Uber says they are engaging with the drivers to understand their concerns

www.hcamag.com

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Fabio Chiusi @fabiochiusi.bsky.social · Sep 9

“Over the past quarter century, American tech companies to a large degree designed and built China’s surveillance state, playing a far greater role in enabling human rights abuses than previously known”

apnews.com/article/chin...

US tech companies enabled the surveillance and detention of hundreds of thousands in China

U.S. technology firms such as IBM, Dell and Cisco largely designed and built China’s surveillance state, an AP investigation finds. The tech companies deny wrongdoing.

apnews.com

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · Sep 4

Research shows that some of the richest multi-national technology corporations - like Facebook and Amazon - are paying very little tax on the money they are making in New Zealand
www.tjanz.org/big_tech_med...

Media Release: Research reveals need to crack down on Tech Giants' tax avoidance

Research commissioned by Tax Justice Aotearoa and the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign, shows that some of the richest multi-national technology corporations are paying very little tax.

www.tjanz.org

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Matthew Hughes @matthewhughes.bsky.social · Sep 4

My latest newsletter is about how the double standards that allows big tech to commit the most appalling crimes -- and to get away with them.

whatwelost.substack.com/p/big-tech-a...

Big Tech Always Escapes Justice

How Google, OpenAI, and others get away with (literal and figurative) murder

whatwelost.substack.com

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Reposted by Amanda Reilly

Michael Maffie @maffie.bsky.social · Sep 4

For example, making a digital platform increasingly awful for gig workers.

#labor

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · Sep 3

This seems shortsighted. From a purely pragmatic perspective, while I'm not an expert on this, my understanding is that NZ has obligations under various trade treaties to comply with international labour standards.

Civil liberties newsfeed (NZ) @civillibertynznews.bsky.social · Sep 2

Ministry breaks up international labour specialists - https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/03/ministry-breaks-up-international-labour-specialists/ - Details and more news at: https://nzccl.org.nz/news

Ministry breaks up international labour specialists

Mega-ministry says reshuffling of staff will provide greater capacity for the Govt's health and safety reforms, but others fear it will reduce NZ's focus on international labour issues

newsroom.co.nz

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · Sep 2

Breaking up with big tech: a human rights based argument for tackling big tech's market power. This report by Amnesty International which lists the harms flowing from big tech's market power is spot on. www.amnesty.org/en/wp-conten...

Huam rights harms of big techs market power

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · Aug 30

I've lived through all of these changes and it won't be too much longer till I'm ready to walk away.

Jen Sorensen @jensorensen.bsky.social · Aug 30

This week's comic, inspired by a study showing that AI summaries on top of search results are dramatically cutting traffic to websites.

WEB'S END

IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE WEBSITES. YOU VISITED THEM AND IT WAS FUN.

Computer screen: Jill's Homepage

LINKS AND STUMBLEUPON HELPED YOU FIND NEW ONES.

Computer screen: Cheese Art

GOOGLE ACTUALLY WORKED AND SENT YOU TO SITES BUILT WITH CARE BY REAL PEOPLE.

Computer screen: Lovable Expert

THEN CAME SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ITS ALGORITHMS DETERMINED WHAT YOU CLICKED.

Computer screen: Facebook

THEN AGGREGATOR SITES TOOK OFF.

Computer screen: CRAP FROM AROUND THE WEB

THEN SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES TRIED TO KEEP US FROM EVER LEAVING…

AND WE DIDN'T.

Woman on phone: SCROLL SCROLL SCROLL

THEN AI BEGAN GENERATING SUMMARIES SO YOU DIDN'T NEED TO CLICK THROUGH TO A SITE ANYMORE.

Computer screen: MONOPOSEARCH
Summary

SOON... THE AI CHATBOT BECOMES THE ONLY SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND REAL PUBLICATIONS DISAPPEAR.

Woman speaking to phone: CHATBOT, WHAT IS A WEBSITE?

UNTIL ONE DAY, PEOPLE WALK AWAY AND BUILD SOMETHING NEW.

Woman has left devices on the ground and is walking into sunset

© 2025 Jen Sorensen

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Reposted by Amanda Reilly

Karen Gregory @karengregory.bsky.social · Aug 27

A new piece from @caileangallagher.bsky.social at the @workersobservatory.org 🔔

"That’s why we’re calling for this type of work to placed at the centre of the Scottish Government’s Fair Work agenda."

www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

Time to stop the rough ride for food delivery workers

Food delivery workers and other ‘platform’ workers are sitting in a dangerous blind spot of British employment law

www.scotsman.com

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Matthew Hughes @matthewhughes.bsky.social · Aug 30

My latest newsletter is about the excesses of big tech, why Europe should declare war on Silicon Valley, and how it can win.

whatwelost.substack.com/p/how-europe...

How Europe Can Win The War On Big Tech

Someone light me a cigar, I'm going all Churchill on big tech.

whatwelost.substack.com

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Reposted by Amanda Reilly

More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · Aug 29

BREAKING: California lawmakers have reached an agreement with Uber and Lyft that will open the door for app drivers to form unions and organize for increased pay and better benefits.

www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

California reaches deal with Uber, Lyft to allow driver unions

The deal brings Uber and Lyft on board with a pathway to unionization for ride-hailing workers after the companies spent years fighting against the idea.

www.politico.com

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · Aug 29

I suspect this number does not include all the students who are desperately seeking part time work to support their studies and not finding it.

This is heartbreaking. These aren't just numbers, its people's lives.

Craig Renney @clrenney.bsky.social · Aug 29

The unemployment rate in New Zealand is 5.2%. 400,000 people are underutilised – the highest on record. Unemployment is 4.2% in Oz, and it has a growing economy - unlike NZ. We are losing a New Zealander every 7 minutes and 24 seconds. New Zealand is hurting, and it's not working.

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · Aug 29

Dependent contractors are poorly served by current law. They don't get the rights of employee but they are economically vulnerable. ilostat.ilo.org/blog/casting...

Casting a light on dependent contractors: a new statistical and increasingly important category - ILOSTAT

This blog provides a snapshot of dependent contractors, a group of workers who have long existed but have only been made visible through statistics recently.

ilostat.ilo.org

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New Zealand Council of Trade Unions @nzctu.bsky.social · Aug 22

#BREAKING: We are calling on the Prime Minister to show leadership by removing Brooke van Velden as Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, following her recent comments that politicise the Employment Relations Authority and breach the Cabinet Manual. 1/6

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Veena Dubal @veenadubal.bsky.social · Aug 21

Algorithmic Wage Discrimination is spreading beyond 'Gig' work:

Healthcare, Customer Service, & Logistics bosses are buying AI products that set compensation structures & wages using real time data. @wilneida.bsky.social & I did an audit & here are our findings
equitablegrowth.org/how-artifici...

How artificial intelligence uncouples hard work from fair wages through ‘surveillance pay’ practices—and how to fix it

How surveillance pay practices work, where they are increasingly deployed in the U.S. economy, and policy recommendations to ensure pay fairness and transparency.

equitablegrowth.org

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Washington Center for Equitable Growth @equitablegrowth.bsky.social · Aug 21

Algorithmic wage discrimination was first documented in app-controlled ride-hail and food-delivery work.

Read more on how surveillance pay works and where it is deployed in the U.S. economy, along with recommendations to ensure fairness in setting workers’ pay:
equitablegrowth.org/how-artifici...

How artificial intelligence uncouples hard work from fair wages through ‘surveillance pay’ practices—and how to fix it

How surveillance pay practices work, where they are increasingly deployed in the U.S. economy, and policy recommendations to ensure pay fairness and transparency.

equitablegrowth.org

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Reposted by Amanda Reilly

Casilli @casilli.bsky.social · Aug 21

Here’s a giant screw-you to this bank and to the snake-oil peddlers who sold them on miracle AI—that ultimately can’t replace workers.

Wild how yet another AI flop barely makes headlines, while every “AI taking jobs” story blows up everywhere.

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Bank forced to rehire workers after lying about chatbot productivity, union says

Australia’s biggest bank regrets messy rush to replace staff with chatbots.

arstechnica.com

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Chris Kluwe @chriswarcraft.bsky.social · Aug 19

Once again tapping the sign that reads “the alternative to collective bargaining is dragging out the factory owner from his house and beating him to death in front of his family,” because that’s what we had before collective bargaining

Unions are there for *your* protection too, management

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · Aug 19

oh boy

www.law360.com/articles/237...

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LabourStart @labourstart.bsky.social · Aug 18

NEW ZEALAND: Pay equity: Five unions to take government to court over law changes www.1news.co.nz/2025/08/18/p...

Pay equity: Five unions to take government to court over law changes

The Nurses Organisation, Tertiary Education Union, Educational Institute, Post-Primary Teachers' Association, and Public Service Association argued the new rules breached the Bill of Rights Act.

www.1news.co.nz

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Reposted by Amanda Reilly

Natalia Luka @nataliyan.bsky.social · Aug 18

Two amazing resources on worker voice and AI that you should know about:

(1) ILO’s Global Case study of AI and algorithmic management by @vdoellgast.bsky.social and team

The single best compendium of international law and union cases I’ve seen on this topic

www.ilo.org/sites/defaul...

(1/2)

www.ilo.org

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Amanda Reilly @amandareillyinnz.bsky.social · Aug 18

This looks like a useful report on the uberisation of healthcare www.ituc-csi.org/ilo-yellow-r... I'm hoping to do some work on this over summer.

ILO Yellow Report “Realizing Decent Work in the Platform Economy” - Focus on Care and Domestic Platforms

1. Featuring the Care and Domestic Platform Economy The expansion of digital platforms into health and personal care services has introduced new dynamics that distinguish care and domestic platforms f...

www.ituc-csi.org

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