Summary of Union

Unions in New Zealand

By: Sarah Hardma

Workers organized it to a voluntary association or Union to further mutual interests with respect to wages, hours, working conditions and other matters of inters to the Union. You can choose if you want to join. Workers have to sign an agreement. Workers organise together to get something they want, for every problem they can negotiate with such as money, working conditions like holidays, sickness and brake time.

About 330000 New Zealanders belong to the Union.

There are more women than men are members of the Union (51.5%).
The employer can choose the Union leader for voting, but the Union leader can not choose members of the Union.
The worker can not go on strike if they are angry with the boss but they can go on strike if the agreement expired.
We need the Unions to help us for working conditions. When we get a job we should ask first about Union and we have to join to the Union.