Labour non-committal to Greens’ idea of automatically enrolling new employees in unions

Author: Jamie Ensor,
Publish Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2026, 2:58pm

The Labour Party didn't commit to the idea. Photo / Mark Mitchell / Ayla Yeoman

Labour is non-committal towards the Green Party’s policy for New Zealanders to automatically be enrolled as union members when they commence new employment.

The Greens’ proposal, announced on Thursday, would “strengthen workers’ collective voice”, according to the party’s workplace relations spokesman, but the Act Party argues it replaces freedom of choice with Government coercion.

Asked for its view – and whether it would support the policy in Government – the Labour Party provided a non-committal generic response.

“Labour strongly supports unions and the vital role they play in securing fair pay, safe workplaces and a stronger voice for workers,” said workplace relations and safety spokeswoman Jan Tinetti.

“We believe collective bargaining is a cornerstone of a fair economy, and we will always stand with working people and their unions. We’ll release our full policies in due course.”

The Greens have drawn up a bill to make the change, but co-leader Marama Davidson said it would also be a policy the party will take to the election. She’s said it would be a priority during any post-election negotiations.

The bill says it “seeks to address declining union membership and weakened bargaining power, widening income inequality linked to declining unionisation and barriers preventing willing workers from joining unions”.

Under the policy, union membership would be the default setting for new employees. That means when someone starts a new job, they would become a member of the relevant union.

Employees would have to deliberately opt out of the membership, rather than opting in.

Union membership typically came with a fee for employees, but the Greens’ proposed legislation would allow for initial free membership for one month for those who are automatically enrolled in the union. If someone who was automatically enrolled in the union resigned as a member, this would be effective immediately.

The Green Party proposed the idea on Thursday. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The party’s workplace relations spokesman Teanau Tuiono said the change would “strengthen workers’ collective voice and ensure more people have access to the representation and support that unions provide”.

“At a time when workers are facing increasing pressure from the rising cost of living, unions continue to fight for fair pay, safe workplaces and decent conditions,” he said.

Davidson said union membership “was once the norm” in New Zealand and this proposal would take the country back closer to previous settings before they were changed by National in 1991. The Employment Contract Act 1991 marked a significant shift in labour relations in New Zealand by significantly reducing the role of unions in contract negotiations.

The Greens’ policy was welcomed by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU), which said it would remove barriers to joining a union while “protecting individual choice”.

“This Bill is a practical, common-sense step that would make it easier for working people to access the benefits of union membership and collective bargaining,” said acting NZCTU president Rachel Mackintosh.

However, Act’s Dr Parmjeet Parmar said the move would replace “free choice with Government coercion” by pushing New Zealanders into an organisation “they never chose to join”.

While the policy allows people to opt out of being a member, the Act MP said “free choice would no longer be a starting point”.

“If unions want more members, they should convince workers that membership is worthwhile. They should not need the Government to sign people up for them,” she said.

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.