Your right to belong to a union is an important part of your right to freedom of association. It is as fundamental as your right to free speech or to vote. You are entitled to belong to the PSA and stand together with your colleagues.
PSA membership is especially important in times of uncertainty and change. Encourage your colleagues to join the PSA, so they can receive the benefits and protections of
membership.
New Zealand has enshrined your union membership rights in two ways:
- The right to join a union and be free from discrimination because you do is enshrined in the Freedom of Association provisions set out at Part 3 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. You have a clear, and legally enforceable right to be free from any form of undue influence because of union membership.
- This right is further entrenched by the freedom to join a union, bargain collectively and organize being one of the eight core fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organisation, of which New Zealand is a member.
These domestic and international commitments uphold your right to join a union and collectively bargain. You can feel secure belonging to the PSA and exercising solidarity with
your fellow workers.
Collective strength during change
Another source of the security can be found in the collective agreements the PSA negotiates on behalf of members. If you are covered by a collective agreement, you’ll almost certainly have a section covering your rights in a restructure or redundancy situation. Your employer must follow the
processes in the collective agreement and the PSA will hold them to account if they fail to do so. These processes help to ensure you receive due notification of any changes and enable your union to provide input concerning the proposals before they are finalized.
Your site organisers and delegates will be heavily involved in any restructures and will work to ensure you’re treated fairly during them. Get to know your delegate, so you know who to speak to if you have questions or need support.
Many redundancy clauses empower you and your union with extra entitlements. Often they allow you to speak up on the impact of any changes on you and your work. Each collective agreement is slightly different, so read yours carefully to find out what your rights are in times of change management. You can find your collective agreement on MyPSA.
Need support?
If you feel you have been unduly pressured or discriminated against because of your PSA membership or mistreated during a restructure, contact your local delegate or member support team, Te Roopu Tohutohu Manaaki:
Phone 0508 367 772 (Mon – Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm)
Email enquiries@psa.org.nz
This article was prepared by the PSA Legal Team.
