The Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (NZCTU) launched its election campaign, with president Sandra Grey telling Q+A that the coalition government is directly to blame for workers suffering because the economy is performing terribly. The union peak body represents more than 370,000 workers.
NZCTU Campaign Launch and Economic Criticisms
According to Sandra Grey, ordinary workers are feeling the squeeze under the current economic conditions. Grey stated she had heard reports of parents missing out on meals so their children could eat, and grandparents unable to host their mokopuna because they cannot afford to feed them. Furthermore, Grey noted that parents are pulling children out of weekend sports, stating that traditional weekend rugby and netball participation is dropping as families struggle with costs.
Later this month, the NZCTU will roll out a new advertising campaign mirroring its strategy from the 2023 election. During the 2023 cycle, the union spent nearly $300,000 on advertisements labeling National leader Christopher Luxon as out of touch and too much risk—labels that the National Party at the time called disgraceful and nasty. Grey confirmed that workers still feel Luxon is out of touch, adding that she is prepared to attribute the suffering of ordinary working people directly to Chris Luxon’s leadership.
Union Policy Demands and Funding Proposals
As part of its Briefing to the Incoming Government, the NZCTU outlined several major policy demands. The union called for the appointment of a Minister for Just Transitions, the establishment of a Ministry of Green Works, and the buyback of the three gentailers. To fund these initiatives, the union proposed a capital gains tax alongside broader tax reform.
The NZCTU’s top policy priorities focus on introducing sector-wide bargaining and delivering real pay equity. When asked on Q+A how sector-wide bargaining for supermarkets through fair pay agreements would impact grocery bills, Grey expressed her expectation that supermarkets would act in good faith, absorbing higher wages by reducing their profits instead of raising prices at the checkout.
Regarding pay equity, the union’s primary target if claims are re-established is care and support for workers. Grey noted this sector was close to being settled before the Government cancelled 33 active claims covering more than 150,000 workers in May 2025. Additionally, the union is pushing to scrap 90-day trial periods for new employees. Grey criticized the reliance on disposable workers, sharing an experience where a nephew had three trials in a row, with each employer exiting him without giving reasons, leaving him disillusioned with employment.
Political Pushback from Luxon and Peters
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon strongly dismissed the union’s attacks, characterizing them as clear proof of political alignment. According to Luxon, Labour and the unions are one and the same, and he stated they are the same people campaigning against his government from day one. Luxon also pointed to the union movement’s opposition to tax relief delivered for working New Zealanders in the government’s first year as evidence that unions prefer taking money out of workers’ pockets for government spending.
Tensions surrounding the political neutrality of trade unions have surfaced previously. In late July, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters characterized trade unions as a “prostitute for the Labour Party”, accusing parts of the movement of losing their political neutrality.