Party said the bill ensures people will have access to union representation, support
New Zealand's Green Party is seeking to make union membership the default setting under a proposal that it plans to take to the election.
The proposal, called the Automatic Union Membership Members' Bill, will amend the Employment Relations Act to automatically make new employees union members.
Teanau Tuiono, Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson, said the bill will strengthen workers' collective voice and ensure more people will have access to representation and support that unions provide.
"Individuals will still have the right to opt out if they choose to. The only difference is that workers would be opting out rather than opting in," Tuiono said.
"The default should be that workers are represented and backed, not the other way around."
Marama Davidson, co-leader of the Green Party, said this is a policy that the party will be taking into the election.
"But we want to act now if the current government will come to the table to back workers," Davidson said.
"Over the last four decades, the governments working in the interests of big businesses have again and again undermined worker solidarity and union power, and Luxon's government is one of the worst examples of this, with their attacks on health and safety, leave provisions, not to mention pay equity."
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