The National Distribution Union (NDU) is a national trade union

Trade union

A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It was formed in 1986 as the Northern Distribution Union by the merger of The Northern Drivers Union, The Northern Stores and Warehouse Union, The Auckland and Gisborne Shop Employee Union, and The Northern Butchers and Grocers Union. A further meging of seven South Island

South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

 unions led to the renaming to the current National Distribution Union.

The NDU has a membership of more than 20,000 and is affiliated with the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is a national trade union center in New Zealand. The NZCTU represents 360,000 workers, and is the largest democratic organisation in New Zealand....

. It is also affiliated to various international federations

Global union federation

A global union federation is an international federation of national and regional trade unions organising in specific industry sectors or occupational groups, previously known as international trade secretariats [ITSs]....

 through its four sectors; Retail & Entertainment, Transport Energy Stores, Textile Clothing Baking and the Wood Sector.

The union was involved, along with the EPMU

Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union is the largest private sector trade union in New Zealand. It was formed in 1996 by the merger of the Engineers' Union , the Printing, Packaging and Manufacturing Union , and the Communications and Energy Workers' Union .The EPMU represents workers...

, in the high profile 2006 Progressive Enterprises dispute

2006 Progressive Enterprises dispute

The 2006 Progressive Enterprises Dispute was an industrial dispute between New Zealand supermarket company Progressive Enterprises and employees represented by the National Distribution Union and the EPMU...

, where union members were locked out after strike action

Strike action

Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...

.

The NDU is amalgamating with Finsec to create a new union called First Union New Zealand

First Union New Zealand

First Union is a national trade union in New Zealand. It will be formed in 2011 as First Union by the merger of the National Distribution Union and Finsec....

late in 2011.