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| E tū | |
|---|---|
| Name | E tū |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Location country | New Zealand |
| Headquarters | Auckland |
| Key people | Richard Wagstaff, Bill Newson, Mark Beatson |
| Members | 50,000 (approx.) |
E tū is a New Zealand trade union representing workers across aviation, manufacturing, construction, security, hospitality, cleaning, and related sectors. Formed by the amalgamation of legacy unions, it operates nationally with branches in major urban centres and regional hubs. E tū engages in collective bargaining, workplace representation, industrial action, policy advocacy, and training initiatives across multiple industries.
E tū was created in 2015 through the merger of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and First Union (New Zealand), continuing traditions linked to earlier organisations such as the New Zealand Labourers' Union, the New Zealand Clerical Workers' Union, and the Amalgamated Engineering Union (New Zealand). Its formation followed trends in trade union consolidation seen in organisations like the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the British Trades Union Congress, and the Canadian Labour Congress. Founding leaders drew on experiences from disputes involving the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, historical campaigns such as the 1971 Springbok tour protests, and industrial reforms linked to the Employment Contracts Act 1991 and subsequent changes under the Labour Relations Act 2000. Post-merger strategy referenced international cases including the AFL–CIO amalgamations, the Unite the Union formation in the United Kingdom, and restructuring within the International Trade Union Confederation.
E tū is organised around national councils, sector-based delegates, regional committees, and workplace representatives modelled on structures used by unions such as UNISON, SIPTU, and CFMEU. Governance includes an elected national executive, annual conferences, and rulebooks informed by precedents from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions constitution and the governance practices of Amnesty International and Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand in membership engagement. Administrative headquarters are in Auckland with regional offices in Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, New Zealand, Dunedin, and Tauranga, coordinating legal teams, organising staff, and education programmes. Financial oversight employs audit procedures comparable to the State Services Commission reporting and charitable compliance observed in organisations such as the New Zealand Red Cross.
Membership spans workers in sectors including aviation represented at employers like Air New Zealand, manufacturing plants formerly associated with Affco, and hospitality venues across chains such as SkyCity Entertainment Group and Restaurant Brands. Demographic composition reflects unionised workers from urban centres including Auckland CBD, Wellington Central, and suburbs in Christchurch City, with Māori and Pacific representation linked to iwi and organisations like Ngāi Tahu and Pasifika Futures. Members include former employees of companies such as Fletcher Building, Foodstuffs, Countdown (New Zealand), and contractors for infrastructure projects associated with Auckland Transport and the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Recruitment draws on apprentices from programmes tied to institutes like the Polytechnic Institutes of New Zealand and trainees graduating from Unitec Institute of Technology and Otago Polytechnic.
E tū has led bargaining rounds, targeted pay equity claims, and negotiated collective agreements similar to campaigns run by Nurses Organisation (New Zealand), Auckland District Health Board unions, and the Public Service Association. Campaigns have included living wage advocacy aligned with movements around the Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand and legal action invoking provisions of the Employment Relations Act 2000. Sector activity has focused on aviation safety standards paralleling debates involving Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, security screening at airports coordinated with International Air Transport Association standards, and workplace health campaigns referencing WorkSafe New Zealand investigations. E tū has produced training in conjunction with trade training providers and engaged in community organising techniques used by groups like ActionStation and UnionAID.
E tū maintains relationships with political parties and policy actors including historic ties to the New Zealand Labour Party and engagement with parliamentarians from electorates such as Auckland Central and Wellington Central. It has submitted policy positions to select committees at the New Zealand Parliament and engaged in advocacy on legislation including debates around the Employment Relations (Pay Equity and Equal Pay) Amendment Act and resource consent processes involving Resource Management Act 1991 reforms. The union has worked with campaign organisations like CTU affiliates and supported candidates in local government elections involving councils such as the Auckland Council and Wellington City Council.
Notable industrial actions include multi-employer bargaining disputes at airports that involved employers such as Christchurch Airport Holdings and Queenstown Airport Corporation, strikes in manufacturing plants linked to companies like Mainfreight and Fonterra contractor sites, and security industry stoppages affecting providers to SkyCity. Past high-profile actions echoed historic labour confrontations such as the Mount Erebus inquiry era tensions and drew media attention from outlets including Radio New Zealand, The New Zealand Herald, and Stuff.co.nz.
E tū is affiliated with national and international bodies including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, the International Trade Union Confederation, and cooperates with federations like the Australian Council of Trade Unions and unions such as Unite (UK), United Food and Commercial Workers branches in North America, and SIPTU in Ireland. It participates in regional networks across the Pacific Islands Forum region, collaborating with organisations including Fiji Trades Union Congress and Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress on workers’ rights, migration, and training initiatives.
Category:Trade unions in New Zealand