UnionAID

UnionAID is a New Zealand charitable trust that that helps alleviate poverty and achieve social justice by supporting overseas workers to form unions and worker collectives. We are New Zealand’s only international development charity working through unions to directly improve the rights and livelihoods of working people in developing countries in the Asia – Pacific region.

We develop all our projects in partnership with trusted organisations in developing countries, usually unions. Local communities identify their needs and priorities and we help them develop strategies which will improve pay and conditions, and encourage economic independence and self-determination.

Our development projects are helping working people achieve real change in their lives. For instance UnionAID’s project in Tamil Nadu, India has helped nearly four hundred other women in her basket weavers cooperative increase their incomes and reduce their debt. The proportion of women earning 120 rupees (NZ$2.50) a day increased from 1% to 66% over the course of the 3 year project and now all of the children of the women are enrolled in school.