Kiwi union man headhunted for post in Switzerland

James Ritchie. Photo / Otago Daily Times

He's spent 28 years pushing for workers' rights in New Zealand and now Hamilton man James Ritchie will represent union members around the world.

The National Dairy Workers Union national secretary will leave his post in August after nine years to take up a role at the International Union of Food Workers in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 56-year-old father of four was headhunted for the position, which is a natural fit with the work he's been doing representing 7000 processing plant workers and milk tanker drivers, mainly at Fonterra.

As an international officer at the International Union of Food Workers, Mr Ritchie will liaise with the hundreds of unions around the world, representing 2.7 million members, to advocate for better working conditions and pay.

"What has brought me into this is that our union, the New Zealand Dairy Workers' Union, has quite a strong international focus. I guess we reflect the industry we are in where Fonterra is outward looking, as are the other companies, in being export-driven."

The union has strong relationships with more than 10 countries including Chile, Argentina and Japan.

The International Union of Food Workers is the umbrella organisation for food processing, agriculture, catering, hotel and hospitality unions around the world. Mr Ritchie will be advocating on behalf of the catering industry and will later negotiate with transnational corporations to make sure the union standards are respected wherever they operate from.

Mr Ritchie said the union worked to eradicate child labour and ran campaigns about abuse of workers' rights, from the extremes of members being murdered in some parts of the world, to others being dismissed for exercising their right to join a union.

The move is a significant one for Mr Ritchie, his wife Jane and daughter Kate, who plan to follow him to Geneva at the beginning of next year.

His three adult sons live in Perth and Wellington.