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FIRST Union
Putting Workers First
FIRST Union is New Zealand's second-largest private sector trade union.
Formed in 2011 after the merger between the National Distribution Union and Finsec, FIRST Union represents 27,000 workers in the Finance, Industrial (Textile and Wood), Retail, Stores, Transport and Logistics sectors.
FIRST Union is also affiliated to the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and runs several networks including the Union Network of Migrants, the Runanga, Fono and Womens' Committee. In 2015 FIRST Union launched Samoa First Union, Samoa's only private sector union.
Join FIRST Union today for higher pay, better conditions and more say at work.
FIRST Union - Latest News [Page 16]
Trade Union Supports Student’s Climate Strikes
Saturday, 16 March 2019, 1:23 pm | FIRST Union
Thousands of youth around Aotearoa will be joining the collective actions of other young people from almost 100 other countries around the world in walking out of school to strike for climate justice. More >>
Public transport woes in limelight at UN Womens Conference
Wednesday, 13 March 2019, 5:24 pm | FIRST Union
FIRST Union Assistant General Secretary and International Transport Workers’ Federation Delegate Louisa Jones has addressed attendees at a forum for the United Nations at its 63rd Commission on the Status of Women. The event is taking place at the United ... More >>
Employer appears more concerned about lawsuit than workers
Wednesday, 13 March 2019, 9:31 am | FIRST Union
Employer appears more concerned about a possible law suit by Alec Baldwin than its workers More >>
Employer appears more concerned about a possible law suit
Tuesday, 12 March 2019, 7:42 pm | FIRST Union
Employer appears more concerned about a possible law suit by Alec Baldwin than its workers More >>
Statement re bus driver shortage claimed by councils
Tuesday, 12 March 2019, 2:39 pm | First Union
“We have concerns that this is the second Regional Council that has sent out a release on behalf of a bus company that is claiming a driver shortage. In January the Bay of Plenty Regional Council announced a driver shortage with NZ Bus. It seems ... More >>
Road worker fatality
Tuesday, 12 March 2019, 12:24 pm | First Union
“Our hearts go out to the friends and whanau who will be dealing with this shocking news today. We do not know the full circumstances that have led to this fourth fatality inside a month, but it is a timely reminder to drive carefully around people working ... More >>
Bad attitude, Latitude: workers walk off the job
Tuesday, 12 March 2019, 9:30 am | FIRST Union
Workers at Latitude, the company that provides the GEM Visa credit card, will walk away from their call centre desks today (12/03/19) at 12pm over a pay offer that has not kept up with the times. The strike will run from 12 to 2pm with a picket ... More >>
International Women's Day: Bittersweet for Women in Retail
Saturday, 9 March 2019, 10:56 am | FIRST Union
International Women's Day: Bittersweet for Women in Retail International Women’s Day, dating back to 1911 and founded by women socialists and workers is cause to celebrate, but for many hard-working Kiwi women it’s also a reminder of the gender ... More >>
Ritchies Queenstown strike update
Friday, 8 March 2019, 7:31 pm | FIRST Union
Ritchies Queenstown strike update STATEMENT: The below can be attributed to FIRST Union Organiser Ken Young “I am hugely disappointed with Ritchies decision to personally threaten union drivers with a lock out, job loss and with removing their accommodation. ... More >>
Memorial for Union Stalwart Judy Attenberger
Friday, 8 March 2019, 8:24 am | FIRST Union
It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to another union stalwart, Judy Attenberger. More >>
The wheels on the bus go round and round...
Wednesday, 6 March 2019, 9:00 pm | FIRST Union
Bus drivers in Queenstown will now walk off the job over negotiations that are going nowhere and unsafe buses. Members at Ritchie’s Queenstown have voted to take strike action from midnight Thursday 7th of March to midnight Friday 8th of March. More >>
Work visa changes must include more open visas
Tuesday, 5 March 2019, 9:00 am | FIRST Union
An OIA and a survey conducted by Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG) and the Indian Workers Association (IWA) shows the proposed immigration changes need to allow all temporary work visa holders to become more open work visas if we are to reduce the ... More >>
A historical first: FIRST Union workers win fixing rule
Sunday, 3 March 2019, 1:48 pm | FIRST Union
A historic and significant, industry-setting decision has been made by the Employment Court of New Zealand in Christchurch regarding the Employment Relations Authority’s ability to fix the provisions of a collective agreement which has been subject to ... More >>
Workers picket high-end North Shore supermarket
Sunday, 3 March 2019, 1:05 pm | FIRST Union
Union members are taking action outside New World Albany today (Sunday 3rd March 2pm) to stand up for wages they can live on. More >>
Retail Workers’ Myth Busting: Retail is a Career
Saturday, 2 March 2019, 12:16 pm | FIRST Union
Retail Workers’ Myth Busting: Retail is a Career Official figures from Statistics New Zealand show there are a whopping 17,900 people working in retail on the minimum wage (according to the latest figures available for the June 2018 quarter). Out of ... More >>
Bus drivers’ strike in Dunedin over pathetic pay offer
Friday, 1 March 2019, 5:34 pm | First Union
Bus strikes continue in the transport sector, this time it’s Dunedin drivers who’ve had enough. More >>
Whakatane crash
Wednesday, 27 February 2019, 7:42 pm | First Union
“We are horrified to hear of the deaths of three people who were working for Higgins Contractors near Whakatane. No one goes to work to die. Our thoughts are with the families who today will be mourning a shocking loss, and to the workers who will ... More >>
It’s not about a bus driver shortage
Friday, 22 February 2019, 8:03 am | First Union
“The government already knows the solution to the problem, they talked about it in opposition, it’s simple: scrap the PTOM tendering model that got us in this mess and implement Fair Pay Agreements to lift the standards back to where they should ... More >>
This is what colonisation in 2019 looks like
Saturday, 16 February 2019, 10:57 am | First Union
There’s a dispute going on in the heart of Auckland over some of New Zealand’s oldest and most precious archaeological land. More >>
Striking Fuel tanker drivers win overtime rates
Monday, 11 February 2019, 1:57 pm | First Union
Further strike action at fuel distribution company Southfuels has been averted as an agreement has been reached that will see drivers being paid additional rates while working overtime. More >>
