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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 44]
Whitcoulls Staff Relieved Sale Process Complete
Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 5:08 pm | National Distribution Union
“Whitcoulls staff are relieved that the sale process of the former REDGroup Retail company to the James Pascoe Group has now been completed,” said Robert Reid, General Secretary of the National Distribution Union. More >>
Don’t Wait to Act on Loan Sharks
Tuesday, 21 June 2011, 3:21 pm | National Distribution Union
The government needs to take action now on loan sharks, not call another meeting, the Pacific workers’ Fono of the National Distribution Union said today. More >>
Manufacturing needs to fire up also
Thursday, 16 June 2011, 12:20 pm | National Distribution Union
New Zealand needs more than just the primary production sector to fire up if we are to resuscitate the economy and boost incomes, the National Distribution Union said today. More >>
Redundancies at local Pumpkin Patch operations
Thursday, 16 June 2011, 9:38 am | National Distribution Union
Around 55 staff at Pumpkin Patch's East Tamaki Head Office and Distribution Centre were given notice today that their jobs could be made redundant. More >>
Whitcoulls workers the big losers in sale process
Monday, 30 May 2011, 12:25 pm | National Distribution Union
Last week’s cautious optimism on the sale of Whitcoulls turned to outrage over the weekend as the National Distribution Union sighted proposed job agreements workers are being required to sign by the end of today. More >>
Cautious optimism over Whitcoulls sale
Thursday, 26 May 2011, 4:25 pm | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union is expressing cautious optimism following today's announcement of the successful sale of Whitcoulls and Borders as a going concern in New Zealand. More >>
Unemployment doesn’t have to be this high
Thursday, 5 May 2011, 1:43 pm | National Distribution Union
Unemployment doesn’t have to be this high and could come down quicker with better monetary policy and industry support from government, the National Distribution Union said today. More >>
First test of public holiday transfer law
Sunday, 24 April 2011, 12:24 pm | National Distribution Union
A critical first test over new employment laws is shaping up, as a union lays down a challenge to over 1,000 employers to use new public holiday transfer provisions to benefit workers. More >>
Shop trading laws already highly deregulated
Saturday, 23 April 2011, 11:57 am | National Distribution Union
Shop trading laws already highly deregulated The retail workers’ union says few countries have shopping laws as deregulated as New Zealand, and yet more of Parliament’s time will be wasted if a new bill on Easter trading is drawn from the ballot. Tau ... More >>
Retail workers value time off each Easter
Friday, 22 April 2011, 9:54 am | National Distribution Union
Retail workers dearly value the few close-down days each year they get guaranteed time off to see their families, their union said today. More >>
Govt admits defeat on NZ wage gap with Australia
Saturday, 9 April 2011, 2:30 pm | National Distribution Union
"30 per cent cheaper" - Govt admits defeat on NZ wage gap with Australia Rather than talking up New Zealand’s wage gap with Australia, Bill English should have a decent plan to close it, the National Distribution Union said today Finance ... More >>
Union welcomes Government announcement of AMI support
Thursday, 7 April 2011, 11:09 am | Finsec
The union for workers at AMI, Finsec, welcomes the government announcement of an AMI support package today due to the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes. More >>
Manufacturing survey: more jobs at risk in wood industry
Friday, 1 April 2011, 1:36 pm | National Distribution Union
A union for wood processing workers believes several hundreds more jobs in the industry are at risk, following a further drop in wood manufacturing reported this morning. Statistics New Zealand’s just released manufacturing survey reports an overall ... More >>
Capital gains tax and housing affordability
Thursday, 31 March 2011, 2:51 pm | National Distribution Union
Media Release: National Distribution Union Thursday March 31, 2011 Discussion on capital gains tax would make housing affordability inquiry more productive Political parties need to bite the bullet on capital gains taxes, the National Distribution ... More >>
Bank must talk about National Bank future
Wednesday, 30 March 2011, 11:16 am | Finsec
Bank workers’ union Finsec welcomes ANZ National NZ CEO David Hisco’s rejection today of media reports that ANZ would close National’s branches, but said that the bank is clearly signalling merging the two brands. More >>
Clearer direction needed for redundant Christchurch workers
Wednesday, 16 March 2011, 11:39 am | National Distribution Union
The government needs to send a clearer message to redundant Canterbury workers about what support is available to them, the National Distribution Union said today. More >>
Clearer direction needed for redundant Canterbury workers
Wednesday, 16 March 2011, 10:54 am | National Distribution Union
The government needs to send a clearer message to redundant Canterbury workers about what support is available to them, the National Distribution Union said today. More >>
220 Workers Affected by Christchurch Yarn Plant Closure
Tuesday, 15 March 2011, 3:09 pm | National Distribution Union
220 textile workers are to lose their jobs, as Godfrey Hirst subsidiary Canterbury Spinners announces the closure of its plant in Bromley, Christchurch, following last month’s earthquake. More >>
Denial of jury trial would be a miscarriage of justice
Friday, 4 March 2011, 7:20 pm | National Distribution Union
“The denial of a jury trial for the 18 defendants in the so-called “Terror Raids” would be just another step in the continuing miscarriage of justice that has occurred prior to the raids and the raids themselves in October 2007,” said Robert Reid, ... More >>
