What is a union?

PIoWR Learning Hub · about 5 minutes, including the quiz · For: Fishers, Seasonal Workers, Domestic Workers

In this lesson you will learn:

What a union is and what it does
Why workers join together
Your right to join a union

A union is workers standing together

A trade union is an organisation of workers. Members join together so they can speak with one voice to employers and to government about pay, safety, hours and respect at work.

One worker alone can be ignored or replaced. Many workers together are harder to ignore. That is the basic idea of a union: strength in numbers.

What a union does

A union can:

talk to employers on behalf of its members, and agree written terms (this is called collective bargaining — see the next lesson);
help a member who has a problem at work, for example unpaid wages or unfair dismissal;
explain workers' rights and the law in plain language;
speak to government when new laws or rules are being made;
connect with unions in other countries, so workers who move — like fishers and seasonal workers — are not left alone.

Who runs a union

A union belongs to its members. Members elect their leaders, agree the union's rules (its constitution), and pay membership fees (dues) that keep it running. A good union reports back to its members and keeps proper accounts.

PIoWR's role is as a consultant: we help national unions stand up and get organised, and we connect them into global solidarity networks. We do not own those unions. When a union can stand on its own, it speaks for itself.

Your right to join

Freedom of association means workers can form and join organisations of their own choosing, without asking anyone's permission first. This right is set out in ILO Convention No. 87. ILO Convention No. 98 protects workers against discrimination for being union members — for example, being sacked for joining.

Many Pacific countries have ratified these two Conventions. Check your country on the ratification tracker. Your country's own law also sets out how unions are registered and what they can do.

In New Zealand, Immigration NZ says RSE employers must let workers join or contact a union if they want to.

Key points

A union is workers joining together to speak with one voice.
A union belongs to its members, who elect its leaders.
Freedom of association (ILO C87) and protection from anti-union discrimination (ILO C98) are fundamental rights at work.