The union peak body, which represents more than 370,000 workers, kicked off its election campaign today, firing shots at the coalition government.
Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (NZCTU) president Sandra Grey told Q+A the Government was to blame for workers "suffering" because the economy is performing "terribly".
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dismissed the jab as evidence the unions and Labour were "one and the same".
Grey had heard of parents missing out on meals so their children could eat and grandparents not having their mokopuna over because they couldn't afford to feed them.
"We’ve got parents taking children out of weekend sports. You know, that great New Zealand tradition of playing rugby and netball is going out the window because people can’t afford to let their kids be involved in weekend sports," said Grey.
Later this month NZCTU will launch an advertising campaign similar to its strategy during the 2023 election. The union spent nearly $300,000 on advertisements that declared National leader Christopher Luxon "out of touch" and "too much risk". National called the campaign "disgraceful" and "nasty".
Grey said workers felt Luxon was still "out of touch".
"We will make sure that people hear that ordinary working people are suffering and if that means saying this is because of Chris Luxon’s leadership, I’m quite prepared to do that," Grey said.
As part of its Briefing to the Incoming Government, NZCTU has also called for a Minister for Just Transitions, a Ministry of Green Works, and the three gentailers bought back — funded by a capital gains tax and "broader tax reform".
The union’s top policy priorities are introducing sector-wide bargaining and delivering "real" pay equity.
Asked how sector-wide bargaining for supermarkets in the form of fair pay agreements would affect grocery bills, Grey expected supermarkets to act in good faith and pay for higher wages by reducing profits, rather than increasing prices.
The top priority for pay equity, if the claims are re-established, is care and support for workers. This is because this claim was close to being settled when the Government cancelled 33 active claims covering more than 150,000 workers in May 2025.
NZCTU has also called for 90-day trial periods for new employees to be scrapped. Grey said if businesses relied on "disposable" workers, then "we don’t have a very good business model".
"I had a nephew who had three trials in a row. Each time they just exited him and didn’t give him any reasons, and he just looked at me and said, ‘all employers are crap, I never want to work for anyone ever again,’" said Grey.
Unions and Labour 'are the same people' - Luxon
Responding to Grey, Luxon said: "Labour and the unions are one and the same.
"Let's not beat around the bush about it – they are the same people. They are campaigning against this government. They have been from day one.
"When you see a union movement not come on board or support tax relief for working New Zealanders as we did in our first year, delivered. That just says everything.
"I mean, if you are advocating for working New Zealanders and you don't support tax relief for them because you actually want to take the money off their pockets and put it into the government's pockets to waste the money as Labour did, that just says everything."
In late July, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters described trade unions as a “prostitute for the Labour Party”. He accused parts of the union movement of losing political neutrality.
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
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