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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 49]
Government must act to fix massive unemployment
Thursday, 4 February 2010, 12:05 pm | National Distribution Union
By sitting on the sidelines the Government has contributed to the huge rise in unemployment levels says the National Distribution Union (NDU) which is calling for action to help get New Zealanders back into work. More >>
25 cents won’t do it
Thursday, 28 January 2010, 10:11 am | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union has slated the 25 cent an hour increase in the minimum wage announced by the Government today. More >>
25 cents won’t do it
Wednesday, 27 January 2010, 3:14 pm | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union has slated the 25 cent an hour increase in the minimum wage announced by the Government today. NDU General Secretary Robert Reid says the Government has missed an opportunity to assist low income workers make ends meet, ... More >>
'Where are the jobs' asks union?
Monday, 25 January 2010, 11:03 am | National Distribution Union
In the run-up to the anniversary of the Job Summit, the National Distribution Union is asking where the much vaunted new jobs are. It is calling for government to undertake and publish a stock take of the outcomes from the February 2009 summit. More >>
Company tax cuts would shift more profit offshore
Wednesday, 20 January 2010, 2:49 pm | Finsec
Foreign owned banks and well off New Zealanders will be big winners and low and middle income workers the big losers if the government implements the recommendations of its tax working group to align and reduce company and personal tax rates, says bank ... More >>
Banks pay huge dividends despite recession
Monday, 11 January 2010, 10:00 am | Finsec
Bank workers’ union Finsec is calling on the government to toughen its oversight of the Australian owned banks in light of revelations that shows the banks paid dividends to their parent companies in 2009 that were more than double what they earned. In ... More >>
Warehouse talks break down
Thursday, 10 December 2009, 1:45 pm | National Distribution Union
Industrial action at The Warehouse will resume as a result of a breakdown in mediated talks between The Warehouse and the National Distribution Union. More >>
Retail workers thrilled with Easter Trading vote
Thursday, 10 December 2009, 9:43 am | National Distribution Union
Retail workers will be thrilled by tonight's defeat of a bill which would have made it harder for them to spend Easter with their families, the National Distribution Union (NDU) said tonight. More >>
Retail workers urge no vote on Easter Trading
Wednesday, 9 December 2009, 9:58 am | National Distribution Union
Retail workers are urging Members of Parliament to exercise their conscience votes in favour of family and community life and not commerce, when they vote on a Bill aimed at opening shops on Easter Sunday later today. Margaret Dornan, a worker at ... More >>
Protests target South Island Foodstuffs directors
Sunday, 6 December 2009, 1:02 pm | National Distribution Union
Foodstuffs distribution centre staff will protest at two Pak n Save and one New World supermarket in Christchurch beginning at 1.30 pm on Saturday. More >>
New Westpac branches must be part of natl network
Thursday, 3 December 2009, 1:02 pm | Finsec
Bank workers’ union Finsec is welcoming Westpac’s decision to open ten new branches in the Auckland area, and says that the bank can achieve their goal of improved customer service if they retain a strong back office support system. “We’ve always told ... More >>
Warehouse threatens staff bonuses
Thursday, 3 December 2009, 11:03 am | National Distribution Union
The union representing 2,000 workers at The Warehouse says the company is now threatening non union members’ bonuses, in response to a decision yesterday by Warehouse workers to take industrial action. National Distribution Union (NDU) Warehouse campaign organiser ... More >>
Warehouse industrial strategy released
Wednesday, 2 December 2009, 1:34 pm | National Distribution Union
Warehouse workers have endorsed creative industrial action to raise awareness with customers and the public about the deteriorating conditions at The Warehouse. Workers have this morning voted for protests, strikes, leafleting and other actions in support ... More >>
Warehouse campaign details to be released today
Wednesday, 2 December 2009, 9:40 am | National Distribution Union
Warehouse campaign details to be released at stop works today The National Distribution Union will release details of the union's Warehouse campaign at stop work meetings in Auckland and Wellington today at 11.15am. Union meetings start at 10.30am. Union ... More >>
Union to release The Warehouse’s “Wal-Mart” plans
Tuesday, 1 December 2009, 10:46 am | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union will for the first time publicly release details of The Warehouse’s “Wal-Mart” style employment plans at stopwork meetings in Auckland this Wednesday 2 December. Details of negotiations between New Zealand’s ... More >>
Lane Walker Rudkin Amended Statement
Friday, 27 November 2009, 5:00 pm | National Distribution Union
An media release from the NDU this morning may have unintentionally misled some readers. The closure referred to is of the Lane Walker Rudkin Christchurch manufacturing operation. All other LWR current operations including the Auckland design and textile business ... More >>
Lane Walker Rudkin closure 'an avoidable tragedy'
Friday, 27 November 2009, 11:52 am | National Distribution Union
The last nail in the coffin of an iconic company has been driven home with today’s announcement that Lane Walker Rudkin will lay off its remaining staff. NDU textile and clothing sector secretary Paul Watson says LWR had employed tens of thousands ... More >>
Bus drivers accept deal
Thursday, 26 November 2009, 5:01 pm | National Distribution Union
Auckland’s bus drivers voted to ratify an amended offer from Infratil/NZ bus today. National Distribution Union assistant general secretary Karl Andersen says that when the votes from the different unions were combined over 80% voted to accept the deal. ... More >>
Easter trading rule changes will be opposed
Friday, 20 November 2009, 9:48 am | National Distribution Union
The union for retail workers says that fresh attempts to open shops for business on Easter Sunday will be met with strong opposition from shop workers, community groups and churches. A new bill to liberalise Easter trading was drawn from the ballot ... More >>
Goff’s Monetary Policy review welcome
Friday, 20 November 2009, 9:35 am | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union (NDU) is welcoming the Labour Party’s break with bipartisan consensus around current monetary policy, and is challenging Business New Zealand to say which interests it is representing by opposing the move. “The ... More >>
