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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 43]
A Pike River every six years
Tuesday, 20 December 2011, 12:01 pm | First Union
Workplace accidents in our forests cause the equivalent number of deaths to a Pike River tragedy every six years according to the wood sector union. More >>
Manufacturing results confirm problems in wood industry
Thursday, 8 December 2011, 1:52 pm | First Union
Media Release: FIRST Union Thursday 8 December, 2011. Latest manufacturing results confirm problems in wood industry Raw logs will continue to be shipped overseas unprocessed unless there is serious attention paid by the government to the wood processing industry, ... More >>
More job losses in wood – how many more before Govt notices?
Wednesday, 7 December 2011, 12:20 pm | First Union
As more sawmill job losses are confirmed, a union for wood processing workers is asking how many more mills will close before the Government admits there is a crisis. Eurocell Timber in Upper Hutt is shutting down its mill, with the loss of up to 40 ... More >>
Westpac pushing ahead with plan to cut staff - First Union
Wednesday, 9 November 2011, 11:34 am | First Union
Westpac pushing ahead with plan to cut staff and service further in Levin despite huge profits More >>
Unemployment figures a wakeup call
Thursday, 3 November 2011, 5:16 pm | First Union
Today’s reported increase in unemployment should be a wakeup call for the government, FIRST Union General Secretary Robert Reid said. More >>
Billion dollar bank has no justification to wind down brand
Thursday, 3 November 2011, 2:33 pm | First Union
Media Release: FIRST Union Thursday November 4, 2011 Billion dollar bank has no justification to wind down National brand The announcement by ANZ National that their net profit has jumped by 25 per cent to $1.08 billion should cause the bank to reconsider their ... More >>
Westpac to hit profit jackpot off the back of customers
Wednesday, 2 November 2011, 1:39 pm | First Union
Westpac’s strong cash earnings growth shows that the big Australian banks have not only survived but thrived during a global recession on the back off their own staff and customers, says the union for bank workers. More >>
OCR on hold good for workers
Thursday, 27 October 2011, 10:19 am | First Union
Workers feeling the pinch from high living costs will welcome interest rates staying put, FIRST Union Finance Sector Secretary Andrew Casidy said today. More >>
Workers should have access to industry standards in wages
Tuesday, 18 October 2011, 3:53 pm | First Union
“More workers should have access to a fair standard of pay across their industry,” FIRST Union General Secretary, Robert Reid said. Phil Goff announced the Labour Party’s election policy on work and wages at the FIRST Union conference in Hamilton today. ... More >>
Putting workers FIRST: new 28,000 strong trade union formed
Wednesday, 12 October 2011, 2:47 pm | First Union
The National Distribution Union and Finsec have joined forces to form New Zealand’s newest union – FIRST Union. More >>
Job losses at carpet yarn mills
Friday, 7 October 2011, 9:27 am | First Union
“A combination of a high wool price, lack of new housing starts and the lack of progress on the Canterbury rebuild has conspired to send the New Zealand yarn and carpet industry down the same negative path as the wood processing industry,” said ... More >>
Govt role in job creation recognised in Green Party proposals
Wednesday, 21 September 2011, 1:32 pm | National Distribution Union
Growing international consensus about the role governments can play in stimulating job creation may be lost on the current government, but a future government with Green Party input would see a welcome change of direction, the National Distribution ... More >>
Focus on women welcomed
Monday, 19 September 2011, 3:56 pm | National Distribution Union
Low income working women have had a rough deal from the current government, and Labour’s policy announcements marking Suffrage Day are a welcome move, NDU Retail Secretary Maxine Gay said today. “Working people have been hit by an increase in GST while ... More >>
Union ranks swell as workers seek protection and fair pay
Sunday, 18 September 2011, 11:36 am | National Distribution Union
Media Release: National Distribution Union Sunday September 18, 2011. Union ranks swell as workers seek protection and fair pay The National Distribution Union says working people are continuing to join unions to get a fairer wage and protection ... More >>
Figures confirm concerns about wood processing industry
Tuesday, 13 September 2011, 1:10 pm | National Distribution Union
A union representing wood processing workers says concerns it expressed last week about the state of the wood industry have been confirmed by manufacturing figures out today. Statistics New Zealand’s manufacturing survey reports a 0.8 per cent ... More >>
Minister’s approach to wood processing industry criticised
Friday, 9 September 2011, 10:00 am | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union (NDU) says the wood processing industry is still facing difficult times, despite the Forestry Minister talking up the health of the industry this week. More >>
Urewera charges should never have been laid
Tuesday, 6 September 2011, 1:52 pm | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union is welcoming the partial dropping of charges against those arrested in the 2007 raids in Ruatoki and other areas. “Common sense has finally prevailed,” said Robert Reid, NDU General Secretary. “There was never ... More >>
NDU supports call for tax justice
Monday, 15 August 2011, 4:16 pm | National Distribution Union
Introducing a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT) and removing GST from food is needed to ease the tax burden on struggling families the National Distribution Union says. NDU General Secretary Robert Reid says the union is backing a 40,000 signature petition ... More >>
Unemployment kept high by government inaction on currency
Thursday, 4 August 2011, 11:01 am | National Distribution Union
The government’s refusal to implement plans to tackle the high NZ dollar is stopping unemployment from coming down as quickly as it could, a union for workers in the productive sector said today. More >>
Staff fears about future of the National Bank coming to pass
Wednesday, 3 August 2011, 5:18 pm | finsec
Staff fears about the demise of the National Bank seem closer than ever, with major announcements to staff this week, and the bank refusing to rule out job losses. Today ANZ retail staff were informed that their jobs are to be restructured, in order that ... More >>
