Nueva Zelandia - Difficulties with union access (2011)

In theory unions can access workplaces and can sign up workers as members. In practice, many employers oppose this and prevent easy access to members including requiring union officials to be accompanied at all times in entering a workplace and controlling the space and circumstances for union meetings with members. Some unions have already reported obstructive attitudes by employers prior to new access requirements coming into force on 1 April 2011. One employer Pacific Flight Catering blocked union access to the workplace for over two years until being required to grant access following legal action. Union visits to that workplace are still heavily monitored and supervised and a police check of the union official was required. Open Country Cheese attempted to prevent access to the Dairy Workers Union (DWU) union officials in June 2009 until the Employment Relations Authority ruled that access should be permitted. Other unions report oversight or impediments to workplace visits. The amendments to the Employment Relations Act in 2010 will only aggravate the situation (see “trade union rights in law”).