title: Strategy and vision: The influence of the AMWU on the NZEU from 1987-1992 with respect to education and training reforms

authors: Piercy, Gemma Louise

subjects: Unions

abstract: It has been established that in the late 1980s, early 1990s the AMWU and the NZEU developed a close relationship through which the NZEU altered it traditional bargaining strategies.  This study set out to discover the specific details of this relationship and its implications, with respect to education and training reforms, from around 1987-1992.  The thesis began the investigation with a literature review, followed by an extensive series of interviews in Australia and New Zealand.  The interviews were conducted with officials and former officials of the AMWU and the NZEU.  Key players from the education and training reform process in both countries.  The conclusion of this thesis is that, the pressure from the rise of neo-liberalism and the changes to production drove the NZEU to find alternative bargaining strategy.  The strength of the unions in Australia and historical ties drew the NZEU to the AMWU, who under similar constraints, had formulated new bargaining strategies.  These new strategies embraced 'partnership unionism' which used co-operative practices and training as a means of maintaining leverage under hostile conditions.  This thesis asserts that the NZEU took on board the AMWU's 'partnership unionism', through their relationship, as they saw them as a means of maintaining leverage in a neo-liberal environment.  Training is the linchpin of this approach highlighting the strategic importance of education and training to unions. This thesis concludes that the NZEU has been able to maintain its leverage in a neo-liberal environment because, in line with Wolfgang Streeck's analysis, it has recognised that education and training provide a degree of leverage in a hostile environment.

text: Strategy and vision: The influence of the AMWU on the NZEU from 1987-1992 with respect to education and training reforms It has been established that in the late 1980s, early 1990s the AMWU and the NZEU developed a close relationship through which the NZEU altered it traditional bargaining strategies.  This study set out to discover the specific details of this relationship and its implications, with respect to education and training reforms, from around 1987-1992.  The thesis began the investigation with a literature review, followed by an extensive series of interviews in Australia and New Zealand.  The interviews were conducted with officials and former officials of the AMWU and the NZEU.  Key players from the education and training reform process in both countries.  The conclusion of this thesis is that, the pressure from the rise of neo-liberalism and the changes to production drove the NZEU to find alternative bargaining strategy.  The strength of the unions in Australia and historical ties drew the NZEU to the AMWU, who under similar constraints, had formulated new bargaining strategies.  These new strategies embraced 'partnership unionism' which used co-operative practices and training as a means of maintaining leverage under hostile conditions.  This thesis asserts that the NZEU took on board the AMWU's 'partnership unionism', through their relationship, as they saw them as a means of maintaining leverage in a neo-liberal environment.  Training is the linchpin of this approach highlighting the strategic importance of education and training to unions. This thesis concludes that the NZEU has been able to maintain its leverage in a neo-liberal environment because, in line with Wolfgang Streeck's analysis, it has recognised that education and training provide a degree of leverage in a hostile environment.

year: 1999

title: Testing times: New Zealand’s clinical laboratories under the 1990s health sector reforms

authors: France, Necia

abstract: This thesis examines New Zealand’s clinical laboratory services during the 1990s, a recent period of major neo-liberally driven health sector change in New Zealand. Internationally, although estimates of expenditure on laboratory services vary, the importance attributed to their pivotal role in health decision-making and expenditure is consistent. Consequently, changes impacting on the clinical laboratory system have the potential to resound throughout a national health service in unexpected ways. 

The 1990s New Zealand health reforms were characterised by a downplaying of the role of technical, scientific and clinical expertise in management decision making, a reduced role in management and planning for central government, and moves towards the creation of a ‘health market’ composed of consumers, rather than citizens. The transfer of occupational control from pathologists to managers in the clinical laboratory sector, and other attempts to contain state expenditure on clinical laboratories are monitored in the body of this thesis using both qualitative and quantitative data. 

Pre-reform weaknesses already present in the clinical laboratory service, particularly the dual systems for laboratory remuneration that hinge on specimen origin, were thrown into strong relief by the 1990s reforms. Furthermore, evidence gathered in this study suggests the reforms became counter-productive, even in their own terms. Thus, the change towards market controls not only destroyed strengths of the existing centrally controlled laboratory system, but also, by fostering a focus on outputs, greatly increased volume-driven state expenditure on laboratory testing. This occurred largely without improvement in disease ‘pick-up’ rates, avoidable hospitalisations, or cost-efficiencies. The internal market compromise proved powerless to avoid laboratory services monopoly development by foreign investor owned companies. As a consequence it neither indicated the most efficient test prices, nor engendered the physical laboratory amalgamations that have occurred overseas in the interests of cost-efficiency. 

The thesis concludes that the kind of structural reform introduced into the New Zealand health sector in the 1990s was a poor instrument for achieving cost effectiveness. Specific technological changes in laboratory practice, along with globalisation in health service provision, are identified as examples of design influences that will strongly re-shape the supply-side of New Zealand laboratory services. Their considered incorporation into a revived central, evidence-based, laboratory services redesign plan is strongly recommended. Unfortunately, the partially decentralised governance structure introduced by the Labour-led coalition in 2001 appears to have the potential to frustrate that recommendation.

text: Testing times: New Zealand’s clinical laboratories under the 1990s health sector reforms This thesis examines New Zealand’s clinical laboratory services during the 1990s, a recent period of major neo-liberally driven health sector change in New Zealand. Internationally, although estimates of expenditure on laboratory services vary, the importance attributed to their pivotal role in health decision-making and expenditure is consistent. Consequently, changes impacting on the clinical laboratory system have the potential to resound throughout a national health service in unexpected ways. 

The 1990s New Zealand health reforms were characterised by a downplaying of the role of technical, scientific and clinical expertise in management decision making, a reduced role in management and planning for central government, and moves towards the creation of a ‘health market’ composed of consumers, rather than citizens. The transfer of occupational control from pathologists to managers in the clinical laboratory sector, and other attempts to contain state expenditure on clinical laboratories are monitored in the body of this thesis using both qualitative and quantitative data. 

Pre-reform weaknesses already present in the clinical laboratory service, particularly the dual systems for laboratory remuneration that hinge on specimen origin, were thrown into strong relief by the 1990s reforms. Furthermore, evidence gathered in this study suggests the reforms became counter-productive, even in their own terms. Thus, the change towards market controls not only destroyed strengths of the existing centrally controlled laboratory system, but also, by fostering a focus on outputs, greatly increased volume-driven state expenditure on laboratory testing. This occurred largely without improvement in disease ‘pick-up’ rates, avoidable hospitalisations, or cost-efficiencies. The internal market compromise proved powerless to avoid laboratory services monopoly development by foreign investor owned companies. As a consequence it neither indicated the most efficient test prices, nor engendered the physical laboratory amalgamations that have occurred overseas in the interests of cost-efficiency. 

The thesis concludes that the kind of structural reform introduced into the New Zealand health sector in the 1990s was a poor instrument for achieving cost effectiveness. Specific technological changes in laboratory practice, along with globalisation in health service provision, are identified as examples of design influences that will strongly re-shape the supply-side of New Zealand laboratory services. Their considered incorporation into a revived central, evidence-based, laboratory services redesign plan is strongly recommended. Unfortunately, the partially decentralised governance structure introduced by the Labour-led coalition in 2001 appears to have the potential to frustrate that recommendation.

year: 2001

title: Re-creating legal space for the first law of Aotearoa-New Zealand

authors: Joseph, Robert

subjects: law

abstract: Some of the historic and contemporary statutory and case law examples of a hybrid Maori-British common law legal system in Aotearoa-New Zealand are discussed. The importance and role performed by the First Law, the tikanga Maori customary law is highlighted.

text: Re-creating legal space for the first law of Aotearoa-New Zealand Some of the historic and contemporary statutory and case law examples of a hybrid Maori-British common law legal system in Aotearoa-New Zealand are discussed. The importance and role performed by the First Law, the tikanga Maori customary law is highlighted.

year: 2009