Workers remain the top priority for new Labour MP Andrew Little, who emphasised his union background and that of his party, in his maiden speech to parliament.

The former Labour Party president spent 19 years working for the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union - stepping down as national secretary to run in last year's general election.

His first year in parliament as a list MP is also the centenary of the Waihi miners' strike, which Mr Little describes as "one of the most bitter, violent industrial disputes in New Zealand's history" - an event which led to the founding of the Labour Party.

Addressing parliament on Tuesday, Mr Little described growing up in New Plymouth - the electorate where he ran unsuccessfully in November - as a first generation New Zealander, with a highly political family.

His father, a teacher, was a member of the National Party who reserved his fiercest political reactions for the union leaders of the day - a stark contrast to his son's future career.

During his time with the EPMU, Mr Little says he saw abuses of power and intolerance by employers, and the frustration of workers whose voices were ignored.

The ultimate example was the Pike River Coal mine, where the management refused to collaborate with the EPMU on health and safety issues, Mr Little says.

He says bosses' attitudes must change for the economy to grow.

"We need managers to involve their workforce, actively seek out knowledge from the front line, open up decision-making to see what the workforce has to say."

Mr Little says it is also critical the country looks after its most vulnerable - the young and the elderly - and the environment.