Union Name Change – Our union’s new name: ‘FIRST Union’ Becomes ‘Workers First Union’

Workers First Union is pleased to announce that the union has now formally changed its name from ‘FIRST Union’ to ‘Workers First Union’ (or ‘Workers First’, for short) following a vote by delegates at the union’s Annual General Meeting in December 2024.

Dennis Maga, Workers First General Secretary, said he was proud that the union was making its mission clear with the new name.

“For too long, employers have been putting workers second or worse, with fair wage rises and workplace wellbeing ranking last after a long list of shareholders, creditors and managers,” said Mr Maga.

“I’m excited to enter the next era with a new name befitting of our union’s work and purpose – we put workers first.”

FIRST Union was formed in 2011 through the merger of the National Distribution Union (NDU) and the Finance Sector Union of New Zealand (Finsec). NDU represented workers in the retail, distribution, and textile industries, while Finsec represented employees in banking and finance. The new Workers First Union has since grown to cover over 32,000 workers across retail, finance, transport, logistics and manufacturing. The union is an affiliate of the Council of Trade Unions(CTU) but unaffiliated to any political parties.

Mr Maga said that the union had sought to change its name to distinguish the organisation from similarly named business entities and encapsulate the union’s purpose more clearly.

“This change reflects what our members have always known: our union is here to fight for them, whether in wage bargaining, on the picket line, or in the halls of Parliament,” said Mr Maga.

“The new name embodies the interests of working people in New Zealand and is particularly apt at a time when a far-right Government is abandoning the working class in favour of an illusory ‘growth’ model for their corporate backers.”

“Workers in Aotearoa face serious challenges ahead, from increasing workplace automation to stagnating wages, but our union is built on collective strength, and we will meet these challenges head-on in 2025 and beyond.”