First Union New Zealand
FIRST Union is a national trade union in New Zealand that was formed on 1 October 2011 by the merger of the National Distribution Union and Finsec.
FIRST has a membership of more than 27,000 and is affiliated with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. It is also affiliated to various international federations through its five sectors; Finance, Industrial, Retail, Stores and Transport. While not affiliated with the New Zealand Labour Party, former NDU secretary Laila Harré served in the Fifth Labour Government as Minister for Women's Affairs and was the primary architect of the country's paid parental leave system.
As of November 2017 the current General Secretary is Dennis Maga, the first Asian New Zealander to lead a local trade union.
