Membership fee salary deductions to be reinstated.

Although NZNO will continue to promote direct debit as its preferred membership fee payment method, particularly for new members, it will reinstate deduction of union fees as an alternative. This will occur across all sectors and membership categories, taking effect from the beginning of next month.

NZNO will take legal action where employers fail to remit fees in accordance with their collective agreement (CA) clause or under the Employment Relations Act provisions. All documentation, protocols and processes around employer deductions, fee payments and non-financial members will also be reviewed.

In proposing the changes, board members argued it was a key employee right for union fees to be deducted directly from wages. They were also aware members frequently preferred this option. As NZNO has agreed to deduction clauses in a number of CAs, no longer offering new members the opportunity to have salary deductions could well infringe those agreements.