The Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE) and the Registrar of Unions publish this report for the benefit of the government, unions, employers and employees, and the public.
Section 16 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 requires every registered union in New Zealand to file with the Registrar of Unions, by 1 June each year, an annual return of its membership numbers as at 1 March of that year.
Summary
Based on the returns received by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment up to 31 August, total union membership as of 1 March 2015 was 359,782. This represents 18.3% of employees. Total union membership decreased by 1.4% compared with the previous year.
During the 2014/15 year six unions were wound up. One union merged with the Public Service Association on 1 April 2015.
Analysis
As at 1 March 2015, there were 137 registered unions in New Zealand. By 31 August, 124 unions had provided their membership returns. Of those:
- 49 unions have fewer than 100 members
- the 10 largest unions had a total membership of 283,900
- in those unions that provided gender details of their membership, more women (213,735, or 57.8%) were members than men (149,177)
- the median size of membership was 135.
The unions that had not submitted their returns are being followed up by the Registrar’s office.
Their names are included in the list of returns, for the sake of completeness.
Trends in union membership 2010-2015 (March quarters)
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of union members at 1 March | 379,649 | 384,644 | 379,185 | 371,613 | 364,846 | 359,782 |
| % change year on year | -2.1 | +1.3 | -1.4 | -2.0 | -1.8 | -1.4 |
| % of employees who are union members | 20.9 | 20.9 | 20.5 | 20.1 | 18.6 | 18.3 |
| % of employed labour force who are union members * | 17.4 | 17.4 | 17.0 | 16.6 | 15.7 | 15.5 |
| % change in employed labour force | -0.1 | +1.8 | +0.7 | +0.3 | +1.4 | +3.2 |
* ‘Employed labour force’ includes such workforce participants as managers and self-employed people
Union membership by industry and gender, 1 March 2015
| Industry | Female | Male | Not known** | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation & restaurants | 3,651 | 2,362 | 6,013 | |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 646 | 1,956 | 2,602 | |
| Communication services | 2,311 | 2,382 | 2 | 4,695 |
| Construction & trade services | 318 | 4,529 | 1 | 4,848 |
| Cultural & recreation services | 3,073 | 2,880 | 5,953 | |
| Education | 67,889 | 23,324 | 2,446 | 93,659 |
| Electricity, gas & water services | 732 | 3,095 | 3,827 | |
| Finance, insurance & business services | 5,210 | 3,091 | 8,301 | |
| Government administration & defence | 26,050 | 23,213 | 49,263 | |
| Health & community services | 78,649 | 16,854 | 4,090 | 99,593 |
| Manufacturing | 10,433 | 35,673 | 2 | 46,108 |
| Mining | 108 | 1,504 | 1 | 1,613 |
| Transport & storage | 6,219 | 22,689 | 2 | 28,910 |
| Wholesale & retail | 8,411 | 5,175 | 13,586 | |
| Other | 35 | 450 | 152 | 637 |
| Total | 213,735 | 149,177 | 6,696 | 359,872 |
** Six unions did not provide a full breakdown of their membership by gender.
Returns from individual unions
N/R denotes a union that had not filed its annual return by 17 August 2016.
| Name of union | Inc Soc No. | Membership as at 1 March 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Alloy Yachts Employees’ Federation Inc | 1173856 | 10 |
| Alternative Staff Group Inc | 1120317 | 136 |
| Amalgamated Workers’ Union New Zealand Inc | 508934 | 29 |
| Amalgamated Workers’ Union New Zealand Southern Inc | 640080 | 3,797 |
| Ambulance Officers’ Workplace Union Inc | 1154458 | 57 |
| Associated Council Employees Inc | 971875 | N/R |
| Association of Academic Staff at CPIT Inc | 653191 | 199 |
| Association of Professionals and Executive Employees Inc | 1084225 | 2,446 |
| Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Inc | 509077 | 4,270 |
| Aviation & Marine Engineers’ Association Inc | 509008 | 2,443 |
| Bay of Plenty Regional Council Staff Association Inc | 1152375 | 217 |
| Bay Union Group Inc | 1583078 | N/R |
| Bureau Staff Association Inc | 1166570 | 131 |
| Canterbury and Regions Totalisator Employees’ Association Inc | 276508 | 135 |
| Cape Foulwind Drivers & Operators & General Workers’ Union Inc | 582250 | 27 |
| Central Amalgamated Workers’ Union Inc | 539251 | 3,168 |
| Central Staff Collective Inc | 1147721 | N/R |
| Christ’s College Academic Staff Association Inc | 1163675 | 63 |
| CIE Workers’ Union Inc | 2303839 | N/R |
| Combined Employees’ Association Inc | 1151483 | 492 |
| Combined Hospital Individual Contracts Collective Union Inc | 1615128 | N/R |
| Corrections Association of New Zealand Inc | 531945 | 2,700 |
| DOTSE Staff Association Inc | 529038 | 53 |
| Eastern Bay Independent Industrial Workers’ Union 1993 Inc | 1034490 | 54 |
| Eastern Civil Engineers’ Union Inc | 1155728 | 94 |
| Electrical Union 2001 Inc | 1113419 | 109 |
| Featherston Mill Workers’ Union Inc | 1109253 | 21 |
| FIRST Union Inc | 508942 | 25,465 |
| Flight Attendants and Related Services (NZ) Association Inc | 509015 | 1,850 |
| Hastings District Council Employees’ Society Inc | 1132510 | 123 |
| Hawkes Bay Workers’ Union Inc | 1971652 | N/R |
| HHB Workers’ Union Inc | 1185784 | 89 |
| Hostel Managers’ Association Inc | 1007873 | 13 |
| Hutt Valley Society of Independent Bus Drivers’ Inc | 1087136 | 40 |
| IAG NZ Staff Association Inc | 526123 | 590 |
| Independent Electrical Workers’ Union 1995 Inc | 802742 | 35 |
| J Ballantyne Staff Association Inc | 2594191 | 130 |
| King’s College Teachers’ Association Inc | 1219306 | 81 |
| Legal Workers’ Union of New Zealand Inc | 2601103 | 22 |
| Manufacturing & Construction Workers’ Union Inc | 499068 | 1,503 |
| Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance | 2541164 | 811 |
| M.E.U. Society Inc | 1071248 | 134 |
| Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service Inc | 1235928 | 732 |
| Napier City Council Staff Association Inc | 1103216 | 134 |
| National Union of Public Employees Inc | 545792 | 1,169 |
| Nelson Collective Union Inc | 1288333 | 122 |
| New Zealand Advertising Guild & Associates Inc | 567655 | 80 |
| New Zealand Airline Pilots’ Association Industrial Union of Workers | 509080 | 2,158 |
| New Zealand Ambulance Association Inc | 1813834 | N/R |
| New Zealand Bakers, Pastrycooks and Related Employees’ Union Inc | 508906 | 462 |
| New Zealand Central Baking Trades and Related Trades Employees’ Union Inc | 1284285 | 18 |
| New Zealand Dairy Workers’ Union Te Runanga Wai U Inc | 562968 | 7,500 |
| New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa Inc | 509066 | 47,676 |
| New Zealand Employees’ Union Inc | 1139530 | 45 |
| New Zealand Executive Fire Officers’ Society Inc | 1045623 | 48 |
| New Zealand Fishing Industry Guild Inc | 508899 | 513 |
| New Zealand Furniture Manufacturing and Associated Workers’ Union Inc | 508911 | 190 |
| New Zealand Halal Slaughtermen Union Inc | 1555021 | N/R |
| New Zealand Meat Workers and Related Trades Union Inc | 508904 | 14,893 |
| New Zealand Medical Laboratory Workers’ Union Inc | 509080 | 1,216 |
| New Zealand Merchant Service Guild Industrial Union of Workers Inc | 509004 | 682 |
| New Zealand Netball Players’ Association Inc | 1971637 | 60 |
| New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation | 509078 | 46,688 |
| New Zealand Police Association | 215711 | 11,172 |
| New Zealand Police Managers’ Guild Inc | 216264 | 179 |
| New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers’ Association Inc | 509071 | 16,697 |
| New Zealand Professional Drivers and Transport Employees’ Association Inc | 1967795 | 42 |
| New Zealand Professional Firefighters’ Union Inc | 509037 | 1,890 |
| New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association Inc | 1351196 | 113 |
| New Zealand Public Service Association Inc | 215410 | 59,741 |
| New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association Inc | 509079 | 2,873 |
| New Zealand Tour Drivers’ Union Inc | 910337 | 40 |
| New Zealand Tramways and Public Passenger Transport Employees’ Union Inc | 508998 | 450 |
| New Zealand Writers’ Guild Inc | 217777 | 406 |
| Night and Day Port Workers’ Association | 1257937 | N/R |
| Northern Amalgamated Workers’ Union Inc | 605214 | N/R |
| Northern Chemical Workers’ Union Inc | 508919 | 1,085 |
| Northern Totalisator & Allied Employees’ Association Inc | 222996 | 130 |
| North Island Mussels Employees’ Union Inc | 2051789 | N/R |
| Number One Manufacturing Association Inc | 1072339 | 117 |
| NZ Van Lines Union Inc | 1633891 | N/R |
| Omnibus Workers’ Union Inc | 2568141 | 45 |
| Port Pro Inc | 2562409 | 72 |
| Professional Verifiers’ Institute Inc | 2568960 | 105 |
| Promina Group Staff Association Inc | 633112 | 166 |
| QANTAS Employees’ Collective Inc | 1383600 | 61 |
| Rail and Maritime Transport Union Inc | 643960 | 4,673 |
| Reunited Employees’ Association Inc | 1799224 | 281 |
| Saint Kentigern Teachers’ Association Inc | 1125989 | 146 |
| Sanford Workers’ Association Timaru Inc | 1155825 | 43 |
| School Executive Officers’ Association | 663788 | 301 |
| Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand Inc | 513836 | 85 |
| Shorecare Staff Society Inc | 1203242 | 36 |
| SLGOU Associates Inc | 1572540 | 63 |
| Southern Coastal Employees’ Association | 1137763 | 141 |
| Southern Local Government Officers’ Union Inc (merged with Public Service Association on 1 April 2015) | 509041 | 1,981 |
| St Margaret’s College Teachers Union Inc | 1228885 | 76 |
| St Peter’s School Cambridge Academic Staff Association Inc | 1108494 | 79 |
| Taranaki Regional Council Staff Association Inc | 1061197 | 123 |
| Taranaki Union Group Inc | 2157795 | N/R |
| Tasman Staff Association Inc | 566514 | 46 |
| Taxpro Inc | 805517 | 885 |
| Te Kuiti Beef Workers’ Union Inc | 1072321 | N/R |
| Tertiary Institutes Allied Staff Association Inc | 217145 | 1,584 |
| The Amalgamated Stevedores’ Union Inc | 1028492 | 290 |
| The Auckland Society of International Flight Planners Inc | 802392 | 31 |
| The Caregivers and Related Employees’ Independent Association of Staff Inc | 1618382 | 208 |
| The Clutha District Council Officers’ Association Inc | 525779 | 59 |
| The Customs Officers’ Association Inc | 530207 | 412 |
| The Farmers Mutual Group Staff Association Inc | 537317 | 5 |
| The Federation of Air New Zealand Pilots | 485725 | 231 |
| The Foreign Service Association | 318647 | 462 |
| The Grey District Council Union of Employees Inc | 1029496 | 70 |
| The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Staff Union Inc | 302624 | 50 |
| The Independent Schools’ Education Association Inc | 217844 | 688 |
| The Maritime Union of New Zealand Inc | 509002 | 2,704 |
| The New Plymouth District Council Staff Association | 985181 | 212 |
| The New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union Inc | 508924 | 33,246 |
| The New Zealand Tertiary Education Union Te Hautu Kahurangi O Aotearoa Inc | 509064 | 9,826 |
| The NZ Towage, Pilotage & Port Workers Industrial Union Inc | 1080351 | 2 |
| The Rotorua Peoples’ Advocacy Union Inc | 872645 | 45 |
| The Royal New Zealand Ballet Union of Employees Inc | 1246376 | 53 |
| The Rugby Players’ Collective Inc | 1070351 | 485 |
| The Service and Food Workers Union Nga Ringa Tota Inc | 535869 | 20,326 |
| The Southland District Council Officers’ Association Inc | 1137758 | 31 |
| The South Waikato District Council Staff Association Inc | 1164518 | 6 |
| The Surfside Employees’ Association Inc | 1083096 | 162 |
| The Westland District Council Union of Employees | 1072347 | 36 |
| TIG – The Independent Group Inc | 1245014 | 1 |
| TIG - HW Inc | 1162195 | N/R |
| Together Inc | 2542077 | 410 |
| Towers Auckland Employees’ Union Inc | 1110424 | N/R |
| Tuia Union Inc | 1101157 | 628 |
| Unison Network Employees’ Association Inc | 650263 | 34 |
| UNITE Inc | 597570 | 7996 |
| United Fisheries Workplace Union Inc | 1149069 | 44 |
| Western Bay of Plenty District Council Employees’ Association Inc | 1225082 | 97 |
| Whakatane District Council Employees’ Association Inc | 1147523 | 119 |
| Work & Income Northland Staff Inc | 876766 | 61 |
| WSA Inc | 1187145 | 88 |