Membership of unions low for business staff: Survey

Almost 90 per cent of New Zealand employees working in business are not members of a union, according to a government study of employers across the country.

One of New Zealand’s biggest unions said this finding was “certainly disappointing”.

The survey also shows that only about 20 per cent of employers have undertaken a review to check if men and women in the same role were being paid equally.

The numbers are from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s annual study of employer practices in New Zealand.

Almost 2400 small and large businesses were surveyed as part of the report. It showed 87 per cent of employers reported that none of their employees were union members.

That number was 90 per cent for small businesses — firms with fewer than 20 employees — and 60 per cent for large businesses.

National’s workplace relations spokesman, Scott Simpson, said while support for the union movement has been dwindling, the unions have remained a core element of the Labour Party.

“That explains why we’re in the midst of the worst outbreak of strikes in decades.”

Workplace Relations Minister IainLees Galloway deferred comment to the unions.

Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff said the numbers were disappointing.

“Working Kiwis would get a much better deal if they were [empowered through] belonging to their union.”

MBIE’s report shows employers with union members on staff were more likely to describe their relationship with unions as positive.