Annual return membership reports

Each year the Registrar publishes a report of the annual returns received from registered unions.

View the most recent reports published by the Registrar.

Union membership return report 2024

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, total union membership as of 1 March 2024 was 425,761. This represents 14.5 percent of employees in the labour force. Total union membership increased by 10 percent compared to the previous year.

Analysis

There were 130 registered unions as at 1 March 2023.

As at 1 March 2024, there are 126 registered unions in New Zealand.

Filers

By 2024, 109 unions had provided their membership returns. Of those:

  • 30 unions (28 percent of those which provided their returns) have fewer than 100 members.
  • Of the unions that provided gender details of their membership, 62 percent of members were women.
  • The 10 largest unions had a combined membership of 344,578.

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. In 2024, 18 registered unions did not submit a return to the Registrar. Of those:

  • Six unions had their registration cancelled or dissolved.
  • One union is in liquidation.
  • One union is amalgamated with another union.
  • The remaining 9 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.

  2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Number of union members at 1 March 380,659 393,406 400,309 382,502 425,761
% change year-on-year +2 +3 +1.75 -4.66 10.16
% of employees who are union members 16.41 16.99 16.73 10.48 14.48
% of employed labour force who are union members 14.29 14.30 14.16 15.03 17.02
% change in employed labour force 1.6 0.3 2.9 2.5 1.2

Union membership by industry and gender, 1 March 2024

Industry Females Males Another gender or no gender provided *
Accommodation and food 652 243 11
Administrative and support services 30,640 18,394 198
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 415 1,144 12
Arts and recreation services 3,874 3,091 84
Construction 599 5,017 29
Education and training 61,937 14,926 586
Electricity, gas, water and waste Services 629 3,309 89
Financial and insurance services 2,677 1,254 11
Health care and social assistance 113,779 28,104 1,054
Information media and telecommunications 311 627 8
Manufacturing 11,699 27,196 725
Mining 133 1,220 13
Other services 5,763 7,396 603
Professional, scientific and technical services 631 2,530 8
Public administration and safety 7,945 11,641 24
Rental, hiring and real estate services 12 84 3
Retail trade 12,175 7,099 362
Transport, postal and warehousing 9,177 24,829 246
Wholesale trade 230 304 9

* 2 unions did not provide membership by gender.

Returns from individual unions

Name of union Membership as at 1 March 2024
ALTERNATIVE STAFF GROUP INCORPORATED 97
AMALGAMATED WORKERS UNION NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 9827
AMALGAMATED WORKERS UNION NEW ZEALAND SOUTHERN INCORPORATED 2507
AOTEAROA LEGAL WORKERS' UNION INCORPORATED 230
AOTEAROA TECH UNION INCORPORATED NR
ARA ACADEMIC STAFF OF CANTERBURY INCORPORATED 305
ASSOCIATED COUNCIL EMPLOYEES INCORPORATED 97
ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONALS AND EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEES INCORPORATED 5328
ASSOCIATION OF SALARIED MEDICAL SPECIALISTS INCORPORATED 6146
AVIATION AND MARINE ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 3336
AVIATION WORKERS UNITED INCORPORATED 73
BAY OF PLENTY REGIONAL COUNCIL STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 277
BORDER OPS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 108
BUREAU STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED NR
CANTERBURY AND REGIONS TOTALISATOR EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED NR
CENTRAL AMALGAMATED WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED NR [1]
CENTRAL STAFF COLLECTIVE INCORPORATED 172
CIE WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED 11
COMBINED EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 529
CORRECTIONS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 3455
DIRECTORS AND EDITORS GUILD OF AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 376
DTA STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 54
E TŪ INCORPORATED 46727
EASTERN BAY INDEPENDENT INDUSTRIAL WORKERS UNION 1995 INCORPORATED 21
EQUITY NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 1024
FIRST UNION INCORPORATED 32495
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS' ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 971
FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 639
FREE SPEECH UNION (NEW ZEALAND) INCORPORATED 1063
H H B WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED 137
HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL EMPLOYEES SOCIETY INCORPORATED 93
IAG NZ STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 712
INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL WORKERS UNION 1995 (INCORPORATED) 38
INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL MEDITATION TEACHERS INCORPORATED 15
K UNION INCORPORATED 21
KING'S COLLEGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 97
M.E.U. SOCIETY INCORPORATED 100
MANUFACTURING & CONSTRUCTION WORKERS UNION (INCORP. SHIPWRIGHTS,MOULDER COACHWORKERS,BOILERMAKERS,PULP & PAPER 1837
MARITIME UNION OF NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 3692
MATES UNION INCORPORATED 231
MIDWIFERY EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION AND ADVISORY SERVICE INCORPORATED 2033
NAPIER CITY COUNCIL STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 106
NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INCORPORATED 1555
NELSON COLLECTIVE UNION INCORPORATED 173
NEW ZEALAND AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION INDUSTRIAL UNION OF WORKERS INCORPORATED 2541
NEW ZEALAND AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED NR [2]
NEW ZEALAND CENTRAL BAKING TRADES AND RELATED TRADES EMPLOYEES UNION INCORPORATED NR [3]
NEW ZEALAND DAIRY WORKERS UNION - TE RUNANGA WAI U INCORPORATED 8383
NEW ZEALAND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE TE RIU ROA INCORPORATED 50581
NEW ZEALAND FISHING INDUSTRY GUILD INCORPORATED 590
NEW ZEALAND FURNITURE MANUFACTURING AND ASSOCIATED WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED 646
NEW ZEALAND MEAT WORKERS AND RELATED TRADES UNION INCORPORATED 12994
NEW ZEALAND MERCHANT SERVICE GUILD INDUSTRIAL UNION OF WORKERS INCORPORATED 683
NEW ZEALAND NETBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 72
NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 15016
NEW ZEALAND POLICE LEADERS' GUILD INCORPORATED 148
NEW ZEALAND POST-PRIMARY TEACHERS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 20672
NEW ZEALAND PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS AND TRANSPORT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 41
NEW ZEALAND PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS UNION INCORPORATED 1987
NEW ZEALAND PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS' ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 181
NEW ZEALAND PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION TE PUKENGA HERE TIKANGA MAHI INCORPORATED 85506
NEW ZEALAND RESIDENT DOCTORS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 2849
NEW ZEALAND TRAMWAYS AND PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT EMPLOYEES UNION INCORPORATED 1370
NEW ZEALAND TRAMWAYS AND PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT EMPLOYEES' UNION WELLINGTON BRANCH INCORPORATED 451
NEW ZEALAND WRITERS GUILD INCORPORATED 370
NORTH ISLAND MUSSELS EMPLOYEES UNION INCORPORATED NR [4]
NORTHERN AMALGAMATED WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED NR [5]
NORTHERN TOTALISATOR AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED NR
NUMBER 8 WORKERS UNION OF NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 334
NUMBER ONE MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 93
NZ NURSES UNITED INCORPORATED 182
NZ TEACHERS' UNITED INCORPORATED 21
OMNIBUS WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED NR [6]
ONE UNION INCORPORATED NR
PORTPRO INCORPORATED NR [7]
POSTAL WORKERS UNION OF AOTEAROA INCORPORATED 951
PRIMARY PRINCIPALS' COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNION INCORPORATED 353
PROFESSIONAL VERIFIERS' INSTITUTE INCORPORATED 223
PROMINA GROUP STAFF ASSOCIATION NZ INCORPORATED NR
QANTAS EMPLOYEES COLLECTIVE INCORPORATED 47
RAIL AND MARITIME TRANSPORT UNION INCORPORATED 6264
RAISE THE BAR HOSPITALITY UNION INCORPORATED NR
SAINT KENTIGERN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 186
SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGERS' ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 0
SECONDARY PRINCIPALS' ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 180
SHORECARE STAFF SOCIETY INCORPORATED 51
SOUTHERN COASTAL EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 135
SOUTHLAND ENTERPRISES UNION OF WORKERS INCORPORATED 68
SPECIALTY TRAINEES OF NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED 1952
ST CUTHBERT'S COLLEGE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 135
TARANAKI REGIONAL COUNCIL STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 141
TASMAN STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 23
TAXPRO INCORPORATED 593
TE KUITI BEEF WORKERS UNION INCORPORATED 85
TE UNIANA O NSNZ INCORPORATED 5082
TERTIARY INSTITUTES ALLIED STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 1676
THE AMALGAMATED STEVEDORES UNION INCORPORATED NR [8]
THE ASSOCIATION OF MARINE PROFESSIONALS INCORPORATED 26
THE ATHLETES' COOPERATIVE INCORPORATED 60
THE CAREGIVERS AND RELATED EMPLOYEES INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION OF STAFF INCORPORATED 84
THE CLUTHA DISTRICT COUNCIL OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 134
THE CUSTOMS OFFICERS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 500
THE FEDERATION OF AIR NEW ZEALAND PILOTS INCORPORATED 186
THE GREY DISTRICT COUNCIL UNION OF EMPLOYEES INCORPORATED 24
THE HAWKE'S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL STAFF UNION INCORPORATED 90
THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 1011
THE NEW PLYMOUTH DISTRICT COUNCIL STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 181
THE NEW ZEALAND FIRE EMERGENCY COMMANDERS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 144
THE NEW ZEALAND NURSES ORGANISATION INCORPORATED 60467
THE NEW ZEALAND TERTIARY EDUCATION UNION TE HAUTU KAHURANGI O AOTEAROA INCORPORATED 10293
THE PULP & PAPER WORKERS UNION - KAWERAU INCORPORATED 366
THE RIGHT UNION INCORPORATED NR
THE RUGBY PLAYERS COLLECTIVE INCORPORATED 680
THE SOUTH WAIKATO DISTRICT COUNCIL STAFF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED NR
THE SURFSIDE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 206
THE WESTLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL UNION OF EMPLOYEES INCORPORATED 45
TIG-HW INCORPORATED 81
TUIA UNION INCORPORATED 248
UNISON NETWORKS EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 30
UNITE UNION INCORPORATED 5570
UNITED FISHERIES WORKPLACE UNION INCORPORATED 162
WAINGAWA WORKERS' UNION INCORPORATED NR
WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY DISTRICT COUNCIL EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 193
WHAKATANE DISTRICT COUNCIL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 199
WORK & INCOME NORTHLAND STAFF INCORPORATED 102
WSA INCORPORATED 79

 

Footnotes

  1. Dissolved.
  2. Dissolved.
  3. Dissolved.
  4. Dissolved.
  5. Amalgamated with AMALGAMATED WORKERS UNION NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED.
  6. In Liquidation.
  7. Dissolved.
  8. Dissolved.

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