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Story: Strikes and labour disputes

Number of registered unions

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The number of trade unions in New Zealand has varied dramatically as labour laws have changed. From a tiny total in the 19th century, the number reached a peak of 500 in the late 1930s, when union membership became compulsory. Unions dropped to a 20th-century low of fewer than 100 after compulsory unionism was abolished in 1991 by the Employment Contracts Act, before rising slightly again following the repeal of the Act in 2000.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Department of Labour

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How to cite this page

Mark Derby, Strikes and labour disputes – Wars, depression and first Labour government, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/20492/number-of-registered-unions (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Mark Derby, published 13 May 2010, updated 1 March 2016.