Our decade of action

Our decade of action

October this year marked a decade since E tū was launched. Across workplaces and communities, members have been celebrating the strengt we have built together and the rich history that brought us here. Our tenth anniversary is a moment to look back with pride and look forward with confidence.

2015

2025

E tū was founded in 2015 when the Service and Food Workers Union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, and FARSA came together with a clear purpose. Each union had deep roots and a strong record of standing up for workers. Bringing them into one organisation created the scale and stability needed for long-term organising, stronger workplace leadership, and national campaigns that could shift the agenda for all working people.

The concept for the “New Union” was simple. Combine the best of each union’s traditions, put member leadership at the centre, build workplace structures that last, and grow our organising capacity so that our members can win in their industries and win across Aotearoa. It was never a merger for convenience – it was a deliberate step to build something new. Our name reflects that purpose: E tū means ‘stand up’. We stand up together for decent wages, fair conditions, and a better country for the many, not the few.

In the ten years since, E tū members have shown what collective strength can achieve. Our pay equity victory for care and support workers lifted wages for an entire workforce and changed the national conversation. The Living Wage campaign helped transform thousands of low paid jobs, especially for cleaners and security guards and growing across councils, hospitals, and schools. Our industrial work across sectors has secured better pay and safer conditions, even in the face of constant pressure on wages and rights. During Covid, members carried the country and our union fought hard to protect jobs, incomes, and public services. We have continued to win political commitments that support working people, with pay equity, safety, and fair employment laws at the centre.

We have also become a modern union with strong digital systems and the ability to connect thousands of members quickly and clearly. Our democracy has grown, with more delegates taking leadership in their workplaces and more members stepping forward to organise for change.

Ten years on, our founding vision still guides us. We will keep organising for better lives, keep campaigning for justice, and keep building a union where every member can stand tall.

We are E tū proud.

Muriel Tunoho
E tū President

One of the things I’ve always been proud of is our name: E tū. It’s simple, powerful, and uniquely ours – the first union in Aotearoa to have an indigenous name only. It means “stand up”. When we chose that name, we knew it wasn’t just about standing up for workplace rights. It was about standing up for our communities, for fairness, for justice, and for a better Aotearoa.

E tū represents a bigger idea: that working people don’t just need strong unions, they need solidarity. And in the last 10 years, we’ve shown what that looks like. We’ve taken action. We’ve built power. We’ve kept going – even when things got tough.

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, E tū must continue to be brave in fighting for a society in which the rich pay their fair share, workers’ rights are strengthened and Te Tiriti o Waitangi is embraced and normalised.

Gadiel Asiata
E tū President

Ten years ago, a vision was born. A union rooted in unity and strength. We’re now celebrating a decade of progress and resilience.

Our union has given voice to the unheard, empowered workers to stand up for themselves and create opportunities for workers to lead and succeed. We’ve seen incredible growth, more leaders emerging, more voices heard and stronger connections. I’m proud of how far we’ve come.

Our union isn’t just about work. It’s about family, culture and future generations. As we look to the future, we remain committed to our values, strengthening our union, empowering our members and building a legacy of resilience and unity.