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 (the Act) requires every registered union in New Zealand to file with the Registrar of Unions (the Registrar), 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, total union membership as of 1 March 2016 was 357,120. This represents 17.7% of employees in the labour force. Total union membership decreased by 0.7% compared with the previous year.
One union is currently in the process of merging with E Tū and one is currently in liquidation.
Analysis
As at 1 March 2016, there were 135 registered unions in New Zealand. During the 2015/16 year eight unions were wound up.
Filers
By 17 August 2016, 122 unions had provided their membership returns. Of those:
- 47 unions (38.5% of those which provided their returns) have fewer than 100 members. Four unions had no members and two had less than 10 members. The Registrar is in contact with these unions to determine their future registration status.
- Of the unions that provided gender details of their membership, 57.9% of members were women.
- The 10 largest unions had a combined membership of 291,226.
Non-filers
The Registrar followed a compliance process to remind unions of their filing obligations and to manage those that did not file. This process includes a series of reminder communications which exhausted all contact options.
Thirteen registered unions did not submit a return to the Registrar. Of those:
- Six have been referred to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to seek an order directing the Registrar of Unions to cancel the union’s registration as their associated incorporated society is no longer registered and therefore the union no longer meets the union registration requirements;
- One is in liquidation;
- The remaining six unions will continue to be monitored by the Registrar, including their compliance and any status change of the associated incorporated societies.
These unions have been included in the list below with reference to the notes above.
Trends in union membership 2011-2016 (March quarters)
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of union members at 1 March | 384,644 | 379,185 | 371,613 | 364,846 | 359,782 | 357,120 |
| % change year on year | +1.3 | -1.4 | -2.0 | -1.8 | -1.4 | -0.7 |
| % of employees who are union members | 20.9 | 20.5 | 20.1 | 18.6 | 18.3 | 17.7 |
| % of employed labour force who are union members | 17.4 | 17.0 | 16.6 | 15.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 |
| % change in employed labour force | +1.8 | +0.7 | +0.3 | +1.4 | +3.2 | +2.0 |
Union membership by industry and gender, 1 March 2016
| Industry | Female | Male | Not known* | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 806 | 1,850 | 1 | 2,657 |
| Communication Services | 1,952 | 2,098 | 61 | 4,111 |
| Construction & Trade Services | 469 | 6,796 | 4 | 7,269 |
| Cultural and Recreational | 2,936 | 3,175 | 57 | 6,168 |
| Education | 61,366 | 18,511 | 1 | 79,878 |
| Electricity, Gas & Water Services | 538 | 3,054 | 8 | 3,600 |
| Finance, Insurance & Business Services | 5,230 | 2,981 | 2 | 8,213 |
| Government Administration & Defence | 25,656 | 22,035 | 0 | 47,691 |
| Health & Community Services | 78,531 | 15,119 | 7,631 | 101,281 |
| Manufacturing | 10,304 | 34,630 | 50 | 44,984 |
| Mining | 100 | 1,165 | 1 | 1,266 |
| Others | 296 | 672 | 0 | 968 |
| Restaurants & Accommodation | 3,453 | 2,026 | 0 | 5,479 |
| Transport & Storage | 6,596 | 22,929 | 22 | 29,547 |
| Wholesale & Retail | 8,622 | 5,379 | 7 | 14,008 |
| Total | 206,855 | 142,420 | 7,845 | 357,120 |
* Five 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 | Membership as at 1 March 2016 |
|---|---|
| Alloy Yachts Employees Federation Incorporated | N/R1 |
| Alternative Staff Group Incorporated | 119 |
| Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand Incorporated | 28 |
| Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand Southern Incorporated | 3,738 |
| Ambulance Officer's Workplace Union Incorporated | 58 |
| Associated Council Employees Incorporated | 53 |
| Association of Academic Staff at CPIT Incorporated | 172 |
| Association Of Professionals and Executive Employees Incorporated | 2,616 |
| Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Incorporated | 4,338 |
| Aviation and Marine Engineers Association Incorporated | 2,415 |
| Bay of Plenty Regional Council Staff Association Incorporated | 214 |
| Bay Union Group Incorporated | 400 |
| Bureau Staff Association Incorporated | 133 |
| Canterbury and Regions Totalisator Employees Association Incorporated | 132 |
| Cape Foulwind Drivers, Operators and General Workers Union Incorporated | 21 |
| Central Amalgamated Workers Union Incorporated | 2,227 |
| Central Staff Collective Incorporated | N/R |
| Christ's College Academic Staff Association Incorporated | 63 |
| CIE Workers Union Incorporated | 3 |
| Combined Employees Association Incorporated | 500 |
| Combined Hospital Individual Contract Union Incorporated | 39 |
| Corrections Association of New Zealand Incorporated | 2,925 |
| DOTSE Staff Association Incorporated | 51 |
| E Tu Incorporated | 55,006 |
| Eastern Bay Independent Industrial Workers Union 1995 Incorporated | 57 |
| Eastern Civil Engineers Union Incorporated | 0 |
| Electrical Union 2001 Incorporated | 110 |
| Featherston Mill Workers' Union Incorporated | 18 |
| FIRST Union Incorporated | 26,489 |
| Foreign Service Association Incorporated | 482 |
| H H B Workers Union Incorporated | 107 |
| Hastings District Council Employees Society Incorporated | 124 |
| Hawkes Bay Workers Union Incorporated | N/R2 |
| Hostel Managers Association Incorporated | N/R1 |
| Hutt Valley Society of Independent Bus Drivers Incorporated | 40 |
| IAG NZ Staff Association Incorporated | 566 |
| Independent Electrical Workers Union 1995 (Incorporated) | 36 |
| J Ballantyne Staff Association Incorporated | 118 |
| King's College Teachers Association Incorporated | 81 |
| Legal Workers Union of New Zealand Incorporated | 27 |
| M.E.U. Society Incorporated | 114 |
| Manufacturing & Construction Workers Union Incorporated | 1,510 |
| Maritime Union of New Zealand Incorporated | 2,563 |
| Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (New Zealand) Incorporated | 799 |
| Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service Incorporated | 857 |
| Napier City Council Staff Association Incorporated | 124 |
| National Union of Public Employees Incorporated | 1,302 |
| Nelson Collective Union Incorporated | 115 |
| New Zealand Advertising Guild & Associates Incorporated | 36 |
| New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association Industrial Union of Workers Incorporated | 2,383 |
| New Zealand Ambulance Association Incorporated | 165 |
| New Zealand Bakers Pastrycooks and Related Employees Union Incorporated | 513 |
| New Zealand Building Trades Union Incorporated | 0 |
| New Zealand Central Baking Trades and Related Trades Employees Union Incorporated | N/R |
| New Zealand Dairy Workers Union - Te Runanga Wai U Incorporated | 7,650 |
| New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa Incorporated | 46,669 |
| New Zealand Fishing Industry Guild Incorporated | 561 |
| New Zealand Furniture Manufacturing and Associated Workers Union Incorporated | 168 |
| New Zealand Halal Slaughterman Union Incorporated | N/R1 |
| New Zealand Meat Workers and Related Trades Union Incorporated | 13,550 |
| New Zealand Medical Laboratory Workers Union Incorporated | 1,188 |
| New Zealand Merchant Service Guild Industrial Union of Workers Incorporated | 694 |
| New Zealand Netball Players Association Incorporated | 60 |
| New Zealand Police Association Incorporated | 11,157 |
| New Zealand Police Managers' Guild Incorporated | 142 |
| New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers Association Incorporated | 16,902 |
| New Zealand Professional Drivers and Transport Employees Association Incorporated | N/R |
| New Zealand Professional Fire Fighters Union Incorporated | 1,820 |
| New Zealand Professional Footballers' Association Incorporated | 128 |
| New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi Incorporated | 56,568 |
| New Zealand Resident Doctors Association Incorporated | 2,967 |
| New Zealand Tramways and Public Passenger Transport Employees Union Incorporated | 1,470 |
| New Zealand Writers’ Guild Incorporated | 57 |
| Night and Day Port Workers Association Incorporated | N/R 1 |
| North Island Mussels Employees Union Incorporated | N/R 1 |
| Northern Amalgamated Workers Union Incorporated | 2,847 |
| Northern Chemical Workers Union Incorporated | 1,080 |
| Northern Totalisator and Allied Employees Association Incorporated | 142 |
| Number One Manufacturing Association Incorporated | 108 |
| NZ Employees Union Incorporated | 45 |
| NZ Tour Drivers Union Incorporated | 17 |
| Omnibus Workers Union Incorporated (In Liquidation) | N/R3 |
| Portpro Incorporated | 78 |
| Professional Verifiers' Institute Incorporated | 109 |
| Promina Group Staff Association NZ Incorporated | 140 |
| Qantas Employees Collective Incorporated | 69 |
| Rail and Maritime Transport Union Incorporated | 4,658 |
| Reunited Employees Association Incorporated | 140 |
| Saint Kentigern Teachers' Association Incorporated | 146 |
| Sanford Workers Association Timaru Incorporated | 72 |
| School Executive Officers Association Incorporated | 0 |
| Secondary Principals' Association of New Zealand Incorporated | 84 |
| Shorecare Staff Society Incorporated | 40 |
| SLGOU Associates Incorporated | 37 |
| Southern Coastal Employees' Association Incorporated | 141 |
| Southland Enterprises Union of Workers Incorporated | 90 |
| St Peter's School, Cambridge, Academic Staff Association Incorporated | 75 |
| St.Margaret's College Teachers Union Incorporated | 80 |
| Taranaki Regional Council Staff Association Incorporated | 128 |
| Tasman Staff Association Incorporated | 40 |
| Taxpro Incorporated | 1,141 |
| Te Kuiti Beef Workers Union Incorporated | N/R 2 |
| Tertiary Institutes Allied Staff Association Incorporated | 1,591 |
| The Amalgamated Stevedores Union Incorporated | 448 |
| The Auckland Society of International Flight Planners Incorporated | 32 |
| The Caregivers and Related Employees Independent Association of Staff Incorporated | 161 |
| The Clutha District Council Officer's Association Incorporated | 66 |
| The Customs Officers Association Incorporated | 393 |
| The Federation of Air New Zealand Pilots Incorporated | 212 |
| The Grey District Council Union of Employees Incorporated | 78 |
| The Hawke's Bay Regional Council Staff Union Incorporated | 51 |
| The Independent Schools Education Association Incorporated | 707 |
| The New Plymouth District Council Staff Association Incorporated | 189 |
| The New Zealand Fire and Rescue Commanders Association Incorporated | 55 |
| The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Incorporated | 47,445 |
| The New Zealand Tertiary Education Union Te Hautu Kahurangi O Aotearoa Incorporated | 9,790 |
| The Royal New Zealand Ballet Union of Employees Incorporated | 61 |
| The Rugby Players Collective Incorporated | 485 |
| The South Waikato District Council Staff Association Incorporated | 6 |
| The Southland District Council Officers Association Incorporated | 24 |
| The Surfside Employees Association Incorporated | 166 |
| The Westland District Council Union of Employees Incorporated | 26 |
| TIG-HW Incorporated | N/R |
| TIG - The Independent Group Incorporated | 0 |
| Together Incorporated | 483 |
| Towers Auckland Employees Union Incorporated | N/R1 |
| Tuia Union Incorporated | 543 |
| Unison Networks Employees Association Incorporated | 32 |
| UNITE Incorporated | 6,338 |
| United Fisheries Workplace Union Incorporated | 51 |
| Waingawa Workers' Union Incorporated | 68 |
| Western Bay of Plenty District Council Employees' Association Incorporated | 119 |
| Whakatane District Council Employees Association Incorporated | 102 |
| Work & Income Northland Staff Incorporated | 71 |
| WSA Incorporated | 82 |
Footnotes
1 Has been referred to the Employment Relations Authority
2 Registrar is currently monitoring the filing compliance of the associated incorporated society
3 Incorporated society placed into liquidation on 7 June 2016.