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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 35]
Sharing the benefits of economic growth
Friday, 14 March 2014, 1:16 pm | First Union
David Cunliffe’s signal that a new government will have a plan for our industries and ensure that the benefits of economic growth will be better shared is welcome news for workers, FIRST Union said today. David Cunliffe today set out Labour’s ... More >>
Tougher asbestos rules needed
Friday, 7 March 2014, 8:15 pm | First Union
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union is renewing its call for better regulations on the use of asbestos. More >>
Transpacific sale not all good news for workers
Tuesday, 4 March 2014, 4:48 pm | First Union
The sale of Transpacific Industries Group’s New Zealand assets has come at a cost to some of its workers who are being made redundant, FIRST Union said today. More >>
Hope for going-concern Southern Cross Forest Products sale
Tuesday, 4 March 2014, 4:41 pm | First Union
The wood sector union is hopeful that jobs may be retained at a Dunedin based wood processing company. More >>
Wealthy banks can better support staff
Tuesday, 4 March 2014, 8:38 am | First Union
Big profits at New Zealand’s banks show they have ample room in coming weeks to improve pay and bring in less stressful working conditions, the bank workers’ union said today. More >>
"Stop interfering in NZ affairs”, Union tells Ambassador
Thursday, 20 February 2014, 11:00 am | First Union
A union representing many migrant workers in New Zealand has accused the Philippine Ambassador of interfering in the internal affairs of New Zealand following a speech that she made to Filipino migrant workers in Christchurch last Sunday. More >>
Goodman Fielder Confirms Hamilton Closure and 125 Job losses
Monday, 10 February 2014, 9:46 am | First Union
Goodman Fielder this morning confirmed the closure of its Hamilton Huttons / Kiwi Bacon factory with the loss of some 125 jobs according to FIRST Union which represents 96 of the workers. “Workers were called to a company meeting at 7.00 am this morning ... More >>
Waikato food manufacturing workers shocked at announcement
Wednesday, 8 January 2014, 5:26 pm | First Union
The proposed closure of a Waikato food manufacturing facility has come as a shock and a surprise to workers and is being driven from Australia, the workers’ union says. Workers at Goodman Fielder’s Frankton Meats plant were told at 7am this morning ... More >>
Airport company needs to urgently meet with taxi drivers
Monday, 9 December 2013, 4:30 pm | First Union
FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid says that the Auckland Airport company had contacted him to meet about the concerns of the Auckland Taxi Association drivers. More >>
Foodstuffs workers to picket Botany Pak n Save
Friday, 6 December 2013, 11:21 am | First Union
Foodstuffs workers to picket Botany Pak n Save 6 December 2013 Workers at the Botany Downs Pak n Save supermarket will protest outside their workplace at 1.30 pm on Saturday December 7. FIRST Union Retail Sector Secretary Maxine Gay says Richard Longdon, ... More >>
43 cents in the $ payment to Tachikawa workers confirmed
Saturday, 30 November 2013, 9:35 am | First Union
One week after being advised that any payment before Christmas was unlikely, the receivers of Tachikawa Forest Products have advised the union for former workers at the sawmill on Friday evening that a payment has now been confirmed. More >>
Whanau day for Tachikawa workers tomorrow
Friday, 29 November 2013, 1:53 pm | First Union
Tachikawa workers and their families will gather tomorrow for a Whanau Day at a local Rotorua marae. There will be presents for the kids, an all-day barbeque and bands and singers. More >>
Many households just keeping head above water
Thursday, 28 November 2013, 1:09 pm | First Union
Latest household income and expenditure figures show many New Zealand families are just keeping their heads above water, FIRST Union said today. More >>
FIRST Union: Update on Tachikawa situation
Wednesday, 27 November 2013, 2:53 pm | First Union
FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid has this afternoon received an assurance from Hancock Forest Management that they will not be seeking any payment from the receivers of Tachikawa Forest Products ahead of the preferential payment for Tachikawa’s ... More >>
Tachikawa workers to protest outside forestry company today
Wednesday, 27 November 2013, 9:35 am | First Union
Tachikawa workers will picket the offices of a local forestry company in Rotorua today, who workers now understand is the company holding up the preferential payment of their redundancy pay before Christmas. More >>
Logging firm must stop holdingTachikawa workers to ransom
Tuesday, 26 November 2013, 9:16 am | First Union
FIRST Union’s new president is calling on a logging firm to stop standing in the way of Tachikawa’s 120 workers getting urgently needed money owed to them before Christmas. More >>
Research finds bank staff stressed with targets
Friday, 22 November 2013, 3:52 pm | First Union
A survey of women in banks released today finds that many are experiencing high levels of stress as a result of the industry’s aggressive sales targets regime, the bank workers’ union said today. More >>
Big bank CEO salaries off the back of terror regime in banks
Thursday, 21 November 2013, 3:45 pm | First Union
Big profits and massive salaries paid to bank CEOs come off the back of aggressive sales targets and an associated climate of fear in banks, says FIRST Union, who will tomorrow present a research paper on the ‘terror regime’ in our banks. More >>
Transpacific sale opportunity to lift status/pay for workers
Wednesday, 30 October 2013, 3:17 pm | First Union
The New Zealand sale of Transpacific Industries provides an opportunity to lift the status of work and the pay at one of the waste industry’s biggest operators, FIRST Union said today. More >>
Tachikawa Workers Laid Off
Friday, 25 October 2013, 2:27 pm | First Union
Receivers for Rotorua based Tachikawa Forest Products gave 120 workers termination notices this morning. At a face to face meeting with 80 workers called by FIRST Union the KordaMentha receivers indicated they would not be able to restart trading and ... More >>
