Phone us on (07) 839 0239

Benefits

The Benefits of Being a Union Member

 

The union has a solid record of achievement in looking after worker’s interests. That’s why the DWU has one of the highest rates of unionisation in the country at over 90%. This is because the union gives members access to the following benefits:

  • Regular pay increases and improvements to conditions negotiated by the union.
  • Enforcements of the terms and conditions of your Employment Agreement.
  • Representation provided in cases of redundancy and dismissal.
  • Protection against all forms of discrimination and unfair practice in the workplace.
  • Immediate support and advice for any member or group of members who require assistance in dealing with their employer.
  • Advice and monitoring on health and safety matters in the workplace.
  • Advice on training and work based qualifications issues.
  • Paid training courses for delegates.
  • Information on union matters and the dairy industry through DWU publications.
  • Commitment to increasing the job security and career prospects of members by improved work practices and recognition of workers skills.

NZDWU Negotiated Benefits

 

In addition to the above the DWU offers the following for members and their dependents.

  • A welfare scheme to assist members and their families in times of financial difficulty.
  • A competitive medical insurance scheme (UniMed), for members and their dependents (in most cases we have negotiated fully paid cover for the worker with subsidised rates for family members.)
  • Education grants/bursaries to assist members or their dependents to undertake some form of approved study or research.
  • A funeral benefits scheme, which covers members, their spouses and their dependent children.
  • DISS – in most collective employment agreements, access to the Dairy Industry Superannuation Scheme, which ensures the employer contributes 50 times your previous years contributions for Death and Permanent Incapacity Insurance within 6 months of employment.

Belonging to the DWU not only means you have a say in how things happen in the workplace, members are entitled to participate in how the union is run by attending site meetings, putting forward ideas on policies, electing union officials and/or standing for office within the union.