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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 32]
Business growth not translating toemployment growth
Wednesday, 11 March 2015, 12:25 pm | First Union
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand reveal almost 500,000 businesses are operating in New Zealand, an all-time high. However General Secretary of the FIRST Union Robert Reid says record business growth is not translating to record employment growth. More >>
ANZ workers take strike action on Christmas Eve
Wednesday, 24 December 2014, 9:00 am | First Union
ANZ workers from branches and contact centres around the country are on strike today in response to the bank’s refusal to bargain fairly, according to the bank workers’ union. More >>
Lyttelton Port workers begin overtime ban
Thursday, 18 December 2014, 9:23 am | First Union
Workers of Christchurch Rail and Lyttelton Port have begun an indefinite ban on overtime, according to the Rail and Maritime Transport Union. The ban was announced at a mass meeting at the Port after negotiations between Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) ... More >>
CTU Runanga calls on iwi to ditch ANZ
Friday, 5 December 2014, 2:55 pm | First Union
CTU Runanga calls on iwi to ditch ANZ Maori trade union representatives are calling on iwi to ditch ANZ until they settle their current industrial dispute. The bank has failed to respect the workers that made it the most profitable bank in the country, ... More >>
Greedy Mr Pig greets striking ANZ workers
Friday, 5 December 2014, 2:04 pm | First Union
Greedy Mr Pig greets striking ANZ workers ANZ workers walked off the job today and together marched up Queen Street to confront greedy ANZ at their flagship Queen Street store, according to the bank workers union. The workers were greeted upon arrival ... More >>
Stop ratting on Porirua supermarket workers
Saturday, 15 November 2014, 7:48 pm | First Union
Stop ratting on Porirua supermarket workers Workers at Porirua PAK’nSAVE were joined by community supporters and a giant inflatable rat, at a picket outside the supermarket today. PAK’nSAVE workers, members of FIRST Union, have been negotiating for a payrise ... More >>
Bumper ANZ profits mean no excuse for insecure hours
Friday, 31 October 2014, 12:55 pm | First Union
A big rise in profits at New Zealand's largest bank needs to be reflected in a better pay offer and more security around hours of work, the bank workers’ union said today. More >>
Unions will pick up the Forest Safety challenge
Friday, 31 October 2014, 11:28 am | First Union
“The report of the Independent Forest Safety Review Panel is a wake-up call for all stakeholders in the forest industry, including unions,” said Robert Reid, General Secretary of FIRST Union. More >>
Wood sector union welcomes Forest Safety report
Friday, 31 October 2014, 11:27 am | First Union
The wood sector union has welcomed the Final Report of the Independent Forestry Safety Review, released in Rotorua today. “The review panel is absolutely right to say that there is no silver bullet and a comprehensive series of actions needs ... More >>
Unnecessary law changes more to do with ideology
Friday, 31 October 2014, 9:17 am | First Union
The government’s employment law changes are simply ideological and are at odds with its approach in the related areas of health and safety and immigration law, FIRST Union said tonight. More >>
ANZ workers to resume targeted strike action
Friday, 24 October 2014, 9:30 am | First Union
Workers at numerous ANZ branches around the country will resume strike action against the bank tomorrow at various times, including in nine branches around Auckland. More >>
Retail union celebrates reinstatement of worker
Friday, 17 October 2014, 10:05 am | First Union
The retail union is celebrating the successful reinstatement of one of its members after the Employment Court found The Warehouse badly handled a letter from what the Court described as an “an irate customer whose mood had gone beyond irrationality.” More >>
ANZ Workers Vote for National Strike
Monday, 6 October 2014, 12:39 pm | First Union
FIRST Union members at ANZ have voted for nationwide industrial action to protect job security at New Zealand’s wealthiest bank. More >>
ANZ boss tops salary survey but wants bank jobs insecure
Monday, 29 September 2014, 2:32 pm | First Union
As ANZ workers vote on industrial action to protect job security at the country’s most profitable bank, ANZ’s chief has topped the list of CEO’s in the annual Business Herald executive pay survey, out today . More >>
Why is ANZ Attempting to Casualise its Workforce
Thursday, 25 September 2014, 9:51 am | First Union
As banks celebrate their windfalls today, workers at ANZ are considering going on strike to protect job security at New Zealand’s most profitable bank. More >>
Industrial action at Refining NZ
Wednesday, 24 September 2014, 9:30 am | First Union
Members of FIRST Union and the EPMU have given notice of a 48 hour strike at the Marsden Point oil refinery. FIRST Union organiser Jared Abbott said that the critical issues for workers are protecting health and safety and job security. “Unions are ... More >>
National’s economic strategy attack workers' rights
Monday, 15 September 2014, 2:26 pm | First Union
The National Party’s ‘Workplaces’ policy confirms that their economic growth strategy relies on attacks on workers rights, according to FIRST Union. More >>
Forestry safety must be taken seriously
Wednesday, 3 September 2014, 4:24 pm | First Union
News that Police have arrested and charged a man with manslaughter over the death of 20-year old Lincoln Kidd shows that forestry safety must be taken seriously, according to FIRST Union. “Lincoln’s tragic death was one of ten lives claimed by this ... More >>
Greens policy to restore link between effort and reward
Tuesday, 2 September 2014, 12:42 pm | First Union
The Green Party’s new workers policy articulates an alternative to wage repression and job insecurity based on restoring the link between effort and reward, according to FIRST Union. The core tenets of the policy include implementing an $18 minimum ... More >>
Employment Charter will strengthen migrants' rights
Monday, 1 September 2014, 1:12 pm | First Union
Establishing an Employment Charter for construction companies is a critical step to strengthening the rights of migrant workers that are fast becoming the face of the Christchurch rebuild, according to an alliance of union groups. The charter has ... More >>
