Union Membership in New Zealand: An Assessment of Government Policy

Abstract

There are certain issues in the field of industrial relations in New Zealand that periodically rise to prominence. One such issue is the ques­tion of union membership, which has been once again thrust into the limelight by a statement the Minister of Labour made earlier this year. The Minister announced that during 1976 legislation would be introduced to provide for a ballot amongst workers to determine whether union mem­bership in their particular trade, industry or occupation should be voluntary or compulsory. This announcement was in accordance with the National Party’s election policy statement on industrial relations, that stated:

A National Government will change the law to give workers an effective means to decide whether their unions should be compulsory or voluntary.”

Not surprisingly, the Minister’s announcement has provoked much comment and vigorous debate amongst persons concerned with industrial relations in New Zealand. It is the purpose of this short article to analyse briefly the various statutory provisions that have related to union member­ship, then to examine the Government’s proposed scheme for amending the existing statutory union membership provisions, and finally to suggest some implications of voluntary unionism upon the present industrial rela­tions system in New Zealand.