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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 33]
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 >>
2014 Rich List paints picture of inequality denial
Friday, 1 August 2014, 3:54 pm | First Union
The National Business Review’s 2014 Rich List is a stark reminder of the growing inequality in New Zealand, according to FIRST Union. This year is the first time the combined wealth of New Zealand’s Rich-Listers has passed $50 billion, more ... More >>
Labour reforms show commitment to tackling inequality
Wednesday, 30 July 2014, 2:00 pm | First Union
The NZ Labour Party’s just-announced industrial relations agenda demonstrates a clear commitment to tackling the growing inequality in New Zealand and restore democracy to our workplaces, according to FIRST Union. More >>
Disgraced hotel operator still hasn’t learned
Friday, 25 July 2014, 5:05 pm | Union Network of Migrants
A publicly disgraced Auckland hotel is still not paying their workers the minimum wage, according to the Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG). More >>
Interim TIAC report on Melling incident
Thursday, 24 July 2014, 12:03 pm | First Union
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union said today that there is long-standing concern about the effectiveness of the Matangi braking system among train drivers, and the union will work with KiwiRail on interim recommendations in a TIAC report out today. More >>
Christchurch CHEP workers walk off the job again
Monday, 21 July 2014, 12:31 pm | First Union
Workers at Brambles-owned CHEP Christchurch have walked off the job again today to protest the employer’s refusal to negotiate an improved pay offer, according to FIRST Union. More >>
Christchurch Chep workers strike for national pay parity
Thursday, 10 July 2014, 10:41 am | First Union
Workers at the Chep pallet plant in Christchurch are going on strike on Thursday 10 July, demanding pay parity with Chep’s Wiri pallet plant in Auckland, according to FIRST Union, the union for workers in the transport and logistics sector. More >>
Bullet Freight workers laid-off
Wednesday, 9 July 2014, 2:48 pm | First Union
An estimated 200 employees of Bullet Freight Systems lost their jobs yesterday following the company going into receivership last Friday evening (4 July), according to FIRST Union. More >>
Hamilton businesses let down redundant Huttons workers
Saturday, 28 June 2014, 3:27 pm | First Union
Hamilton businesses have let down the 125 Huttons workers who were made redundant at the end of March this year according their union, FIRST Union. “After the closure of the Huttons site FIRST Union funded a Redundancy Support Coordinator for two months,” ... More >>
Auckland train staff safety initiative supported
Friday, 27 June 2014, 9:04 am | First Union
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union is supporting a roll out of improved safety measures for train operating staff in Auckland. Transdev and Auckland Transport are commencing a 3 month trial of personal lapel cameras on Ticket Inspectors serving ... More >>
Bad and good news for Thames Timber workers
Wednesday, 25 June 2014, 3:45 pm | First Union
Bad and good news for Thames Timber workers The announcement this afternoon that Southern Cross Forest Products Thames Timber Ltd (Thames Timber) will be sold to Profiles Woodproducts Limited has been dampened by an announced concurrent restructuring, ... More >>
Union applauds NZ supermarkets’ stance on slavery
Tuesday, 24 June 2014, 4:54 pm | First Union
The union representing retail workers applauds both New Zealand supermarket chains (Progressive Enterprises’ Countdown and Foodstuffs’ New World and Pak’n’Save) for taking a strong stance against alleged slave labour in global prawn supply chains. More >>
Union forestry campaign showing dramatic drop in incidents
Tuesday, 24 June 2014, 1:44 pm | First Union
A snapshot of Worksafe New Zealand’s Tree Felling Project contains both good and bad news, said FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid. On the one hand it shows a dramatic drop in the number of serious harm incident notifications between 1 January ... More >>
