In 2015, a small group of determined organisers founded Samoa First Union (SFU), the country’s first private sector union. Ten years later, SFU has become a vital force for change, delivering fairer pay, stronger rights, and hope to thousands of Samoan workers at home and abroad.
As SFU proudly celebrates its first decade, we look back on ten of its biggest achievements, proof that organising, solidarity, and persistence can transform lives.
1. Founding Samoa’s first private-sector union. Until 2015, private-sector workers in Samoa had no dedicated union. Initiated by First Union NZ’s Samoan members concerned by the exploitation and lack of representation for workers back in Samoa, SFU was born to fill this gap, representing retail, fisheries, maritime, hospitality, commercial and manufacturing workers. Its creation gave thousands their first real voice at work.
“When we first established the union, Samoans only knew one union – rugby union!” – Saina Tomi Setu, Samoa First Union
2. Building a culture of organising. From their first 50 supporters to now thousands of members, SFU has invested in organising workers, including recruiting members, training organisers, mapping workplaces, and holding workshops. They have established a union culture that is adapted to the Samoan way of life, combining rights education with community work, often outside the workplace, to reach people who may be isolated or unaware of their employment rights.
3. Strengthening labour laws. SFU has championed amendments to Samoa’s Labour and Employment Relations Act, resulting in outlawing workplace harassment, expanding leave rights, and guaranteeing union access to workplaces. These changes have established a stronger legal foundation for workplace fairness.
4. Winning higher minimum wages. Perhaps SFU’s most visible achievement is its successful campaigns to raise Samoa’s minimum wage. From an initial rate of $2.30 tālā per hour, the union successfully pushed for an increase to $3.00 tālā in 2020. In 2024, SFU secured a significant 30% wage increase for private-sector workers, raising the minimum wage to $4.00 tālā per hour, with a further increase to $4.84 tālā in 2025. For low-paid workers, this was a game-changer – extra income for food, school fees, and family needs.
5. Establishing regular wage reviews. A major policy victory means Samoa’s minimum wage must now be reviewed every two years – with SFU given a seat at the negotiating table. This ensures that workers’ wages will keep pace with inflation and rising living costs, ending decades of stagnation where wage reviews were irregular.
6. Giving workers hope in times of crisis. When nearly 800 workers were retrenched from the Yazaki factory (a car components manufacturer for Toyota, which shut down their Samoan operations in 2017), SFU ensured they received fair severance packages far greater than under the Samoan Employment Law. When COVID-19 struck, Samoa’s tourism and hospitality sectors suffered a significant collapse. Thousands lost work overnight. SFU became a lifeline, mapping affected workers, providing guidance, and advocating for emergency protections. In a time of fear and uncertainty, SFU gave workers hope.
“The union was the only one standing with us when we lost everything.” – SFU Member.
7. Supporting seasonal workers. As thousands of Samoans travel each year to Australia and New Zealand under seasonal labour schemes, SFU has stepped up to protect them. Working shoulder to shoulder with Australian and NZ unions, they are advocating for better policies to guard against exploitation. Providing pre-departure briefings and ongoing support, SFU ensures workers understand their contracts, rights, and obligations abroad. They have helped recover unpaid superannuation, assisted workers returning home, and advocated for fairer migration policies.
“The union prepared me before I left. I knew what to expect and who to call if there was a problem.” – SFU Member
8. Establishing a Migrant Workers Help Desk. Building on its experience supporting seasonal workers, SFU, in collaboration with the Samoa Workers Congress and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), launched a Migrant Workers Help Desk in Apia in 2025. The Help Desk provides vital pre-departure information, raises awareness of worker rights in both sending and receiving countries, and extends SFU’s outreach into rural districts through community workshops. It has also enabled the union to identify policy gaps in Samoa’s seasonal worker program, strengthening advocacy for fairer protections and better conditions for migrant workers and their families.
9. Building international solidarity. Since its constitution, SFU has established strong partnerships with unions in Australia, New Zealand, and across the Pacific. It has worked with the ILO to push for Samoa’s ratification of key labour conventions, including C187 and C190 on safety and harassment and to ensure compliance with international standards. These connections amplify the voices of Samoan workers in global debates on labour mobility, migrant worker rights, and fair work.
10. Embedding workers’ voices. SFU’s influence has helped to shift official policy and institutional roles, embedding worker representation more formally. Today, SFU is recognised as a legitimate representative of workers at Samoa’s national tripartite forums. The union contributes to policy reviews on labour law, seasonal work, and employment policy. This ensures that decisions affecting workers are no longer made without worker input; a huge shift from where Samoa was ten years ago.
The lesson from SFU’s journey is clear: when workers organise, they win.
In just ten years, SFU has transformed what’s possible for workers in Samoa. From the shop floor to parliament, and from seasonal work schemes abroad to village meetings at home, SFU has shown that organised workers can win lasting change. As Samoa and the region face ongoing economic, environmental and social challenges, a strong workers movement means communities will be more resilient. Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA has proudly stood alongside SFU throughout this journey, and with continued solidarity, the next decade promises even greater wins for Samoan workers and their families.
SFU the last years in pictures
