Chris Flatt is a New Zealand trade union official and political figure, known primarily for his roles in the labour movement and associated organisations.
Flatt was educated at the University of Waikato [41]. He went on to work as a private practice employment lawyer in law firms in Auckland and Sydney [9], roles that also overlap with accounts describing his legal work in those cities individually [5][6].
He later served as General Secretary of the NZ Labour Party, a position confirmed from 2009 [51]. According to a single reputable secondary source, he also held the role of National Industrial Officer for the Electrical Trades Union of Australia (ETU) [2]. From 2012, he is reported by a single reputable secondary source to have served as National Secretary of the NZ Dairy Workers Union – Te Runanga Wai U [3][53].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Flatt stood as the Labour candidate for the Taupō Electorate [52], and from 2016 is reported to have held the position of Affiliated Unions Vice President on the NZ Council of the NZ Labour Party [43][57].
Flatt has served as Chair and Managing Director of Waikato Trade Union Centre Limited [44], and is confirmed as a director of that organisation [38]. He is also confirmed as a director of the Primary Industry Training Organisation (Primary ITO) [31], where he is reported by a single reputable secondary source to have also served as Deputy Chair and Remuneration Committee Chair of its board [46][54][55]. He served on the Primary Industries Workforce Development Council (WDC) Interim Establishment Board [30], and is reported by a single reputable secondary source to have been a director of Muka Tangata – People, Food, and Fibre Workforce Development Council [21].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Flatt has been a Trustee and Co-Deputy Chair of the Waikato Community Trust (Trust Waikato) [16][47], and a director of Trust Waikato Incorporated [34]. He is reported by a single reputable secondary source to have served as a director of Union Medical Benefits Society Limited (UniMed) from October 2019 [49], as well as a director of Norman Kirk House Ltd [28] and the Workers Education Trust Incorporated [40].
Flatt is confirmed as an Associate Member of Governance New Zealand (formerly NZ Chartered Company Secretaries) [11], and is reported by a single reputable secondary source to be a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors [15].