Organising Youth in Aotearoa New Zealand

It is a well known fact that the trade union movement in New Zealand is greying. As in most developed countries around the world, unions have for too long focussed on the public sector and those industries which have a long and rich history of staying out one day longer than the boss. The focus shouldn’t necessarily shift, but ways to involve younger generations need to be explored if unions are to sustain themselves.

There are two key challenges to tackle when organising young workers:

The generation gap
In the early 1990s, National, New Zealand’s main right-wing party, was elected to power and introduced the Employment Contracts Act. This new legislation erected huge barriers as it stripped away workers’ rights and destroyed unions in many industries. Unions became bargaining agents, and their access to workplaces was limited. Practically overnight union density dropped from 50% to 22% overall as workers were pressured to sign individual agreements. This lasted for nine years, and the impact this had is still clear: a whole generation of young workers whose parents did not talk about the union at home and therefore do not know what a union is, let alone the power there is in standing strong and fighting together.

Where young workers work
Young workers are predominantly employed in part-time or casual positions in the low paid retail, service and hospitality industries. Work often has non-standardised shift patterns and short work periods. Young workers are transient, moving from job to job and frequently face bullying and intimidation from anti-union employers.

A number of unions have, however, taken up the challenge to organise in industries in which many vulnerable people, including youth, are employed.

Unite Union has had huge success in organising fast food workers in their high profile campaign supersizemypay.com. Throughout 2005 and 2006 young McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, Pizza Hut and Burger King workers rallied on the streets around three key claims: a $12 minimum wage (it was $10.25 at the time), security of hours and an end to youth rates for those under 18. Unite Union mobilised other unions, community groups and various artists to support workers’ strikes, rallies and music gigs. Through much publicity all aims were achieved, and more than 2000 fast food workers are still unionised today.

The National Distribution Union, New Zealand’s retail union, runs ongoing campaigns in most major retailers including the Warehouse (our equivalent to Walmart) and all supermarkets. Over the last two years thousands of workers have joined the fight for better wages and conditions, and more often than not, young workers have been at the forefront.

Because of the high turnover in both fast food and retail, the struggle is ongoing to keep these workplaces well organised and in a position to win real change at work.

Unions are really starting to adjust their priorities and change their cultural practices to the needs of young workers. The myth that young workers simply aren’t interested in collectivity has finally been squashed as we are starting to see many young workers find their voice and take up the challenge to organise and win.