Victoria University’s Industrial Relations Centre publishes an excellent annual review of union membership in New Zealand. For different reasons, the most recent review (which came out in the last couple of weeks) only has figures current to the end of 2008. But, despite this, the findings are telling.
In short, there has been a modest increase in union membership – of .5% in the two years from December 2006 to December 2008.
Overall, however, the total union density (number of union members as a total of wage and salary earners) is only 21.2% - being the lowest level in 20 years, and lower than any level of union density through the Employment Contracts Act.
In plain English, what this means is that – despite encouragement to the contrary in the Employment Relations Act – union membership is on the decline, and arguably a thing of the past in many industries.
Union membership is still high, for example, in the public service – and in certain industrial pursuits (such as mining). But, overall, and particularly in the private sector – one might be justified in concluding that the age of unions is past.
Flogging a Dead Horse
New Zealand law recognises the importance of allowing for some collective power in bargaining. But it certainly stops short of what appears to be allowed in France.
An interesting story developed this week about sick leave entitlements in the event of swine flu. Here is the issue:
The internet is indeed a fantastic thing. Tom Wolfe, author of A Man in Full and well known commentator, likened its power to the concept of biblical “convergence” : It’s one thing to convert a whole bunch of people to your way of thinking, but a much more powerful step to bring them all together.
One of the features of New Zealand’s employment law is an express objective to promote collectivism. Unions are, so our law says, good - or at least a necessary evil (depending on whose side you might take). 
