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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 66]
NDU Calls For Youth Wage Bill To Select Committee
Tuesday, 7 February 2006, 8:51 am | National Distribution Union
The NDU is urging MPs to send a Bill abolishing youth rates in the minimum wage to a select committee. More >>
Low Pay a Blight on NZ's Record
Wednesday, 25 January 2006, 11:22 am | National Distribution Union
The National Distribution joins others at an event organised by the supersizemypay.com campaign today to call for an end to the low pay and insecure work that blights hundreds of thousands of New Zealand workers. More >>
Progress at Westpac-Finsec Negotiations
Thursday, 19 January 2006, 5:19 pm | Finsec
A further round of negotiations between those staff at Westpac who are union members and their employer concluded yesterday with some much-needed progress. Staff who belong to the finance union, Finsec, and Westpac have been in a three month long ... More >>
Westpac attacks workers for speaking out
Thursday, 5 January 2006, 11:54 am | Finsec
Finsec members in Westpac have exposed for the first time exactly how debt sales targets work internally within the bank and have raised concerns about the impact on them and the communities that they are part of. Today Westpac will penalise staff ... More >>
Are BNZ staff expected to sell debt at the beach
Wednesday, 28 December 2005, 4:17 pm | Finsec
As most people are enjoying the summer sun, BNZ staff are being ‘encouraged’ by their employer to sell debt products to family and friends during their holiday break. More >>
Westpac staff demand fair pay
Thursday, 22 December 2005, 3:21 pm | Finsec
1500 Westpac staff who are members of the Finance Sector Union Finsec will walk off the job tomorrow in the first ever bank strike in New Zealand held on the last banking day before Christmas. The strike is an indication of how strongly Westpac ... More >>
Baywide Credit Union Staff Go On Strike
Thursday, 22 December 2005, 11:42 am | Finsec
Baywide Credit Union staff who are members of the finance workers’ union, Finsec, have voted to take immediate strike action today, Thursday December 22, following protracted employment negotiations. More >>
Strike at Westpac on 23 Dec
Monday, 19 December 2005, 1:31 pm | Finsec
Staff at Westpac who are members of the bank workers’ union, Finsec, have voted to hold a nation wide strike on 23 December. The large number of members evidently angry at the bank’s current approach to employment relations has led Finsec’s Union Council ... More >>
Westpac staff vote to side with customers not bank
Monday, 12 December 2005, 10:32 am | Finsec
Westpac staff who are members of the finance workers’ union, Finsec, voted last week to reject bank customer debt targets. They rejected their employment contract offer by 68% because of their dissatisfaction with a performance pay system that encourages ... More >>
Westpac’s charity stunt is a cynical cover-up
Thursday, 1 December 2005, 4:53 pm | Finsec
Westpac’s planned Christmas donation to the Family Budgeting Service is being called horribly ironic by Finsec, the bank workers’ union, today. More >>
Westpac makes biggest profit and worst offer
Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 3:39 pm | Finsec
Westpac, the bank to announce the largest profit in New Zealand this year ($611 million), has chosen to offer its staff the smallest pay rise. Westpac, which already has some of the lowest rates of pay in the New Zealand banking industry, is offering ... More >>
Stress makes BNZ a high danger zone
Thursday, 17 November 2005, 3:58 pm | Finsec
Finsec, the finance workers’ union, is launching a campaign tomorrow to remove stress from BNZ branches and back offices. The union believes that stress is widespread among workers in the bank because of serious understaffing and unreasonable demands ... More >>
Bank workers seek meeting with Cullen
Friday, 11 November 2005, 3:22 pm | Finsec
Finsec, the finance workers’ union, is seeking to meet with the Finance Minister, Dr Cullen, to discuss concerns its members hold that banks’ customer debt targets are helping to fuel inflation. The government has signaled its concern at the effect ... More >>
Banks fuel inflation with customer debt targets
Wednesday, 9 November 2005, 4:03 pm | Finsec
Contrary to comments by BNZ Managing Director, Peter Thodey, to the media this morning, and Westpac Chief Executive, Ann Sherry, last week, the current ‘very competitive mortgage market’ in New Zealand is not ‘healthy for consumers and providers alike’. ... More >>
Rod Donald Helped Shape our Political Landscape
Monday, 7 November 2005, 8:28 am | National Distribution Union
NDU National Secretary Laila Harré has described the death of Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald as "a shocking blow to the causes he so strongly advocated". More >>
Record Westpac profit bodes well for workers
Thursday, 3 November 2005, 3:35 pm | Finsec
Westpac’s record pre-tax operating profit of $708 million, announced yesterday, puts it in a strong position to address its workers’ claims at next week’s employment negotiations. Staff at Westpac have worked hard over the past year in a competitive ... More >>
Banks drive inflation through performance pay
Thursday, 3 November 2005, 3:34 pm | Finsec
Yesterday Reserve Bank Governor, Alan Bollard, made a speech warning that banks are helping to fuel inflation by heavy leading and competitive promotion of credit. Finsec, the union representing finance workers in those banks supports Dr Bollard’s ... More >>
New CEO for ANZ National Bank will need friends
Friday, 14 October 2005, 4:06 pm | Finsec
The new CEO for ANZ National Bank, Graham Hodges, faces a challenging year ahead. Mr Hodges, who will replace retiring CEO, Sir John Anderson, at the head of ANZ National Bank will need to survive an increasingly competitive banking industry, the difficult ... More >>
Workers at Carters Take Further Action
Friday, 30 September 2005, 10:56 am | National Distribution Union
Around 35 workers at Carters Manufacturing East Tamaki and Rotorua are taking industrial action today as they fight for a Fair Share. There has been a breakdown in negotiations with the National Distribution Union as the company will not come to the party with ... More >>
Ambulance Officers Action Cancelled
Friday, 19 August 2005, 5:28 pm | National Distribution Union
Ambulance Officers employed by St John Ambulance in the Northern Region have agreed to attend mediation regarding the current industrial action over the breakdown of the collective employment agreement negotiations. The industrial action and the planned ... More >>
