Korean War. Site Quicklinks Culture & Society. For five months from mid-­February 1951, watersiders were locked-­out and miners, seamen, freezing workers and others went on strike in support of the watersiders; in total 20,000 workers were involved. Labour MP Mabel Howard called the dispute ‘a war on women’, 1 because the wives of strikers had to survive with no income, and it was illegal for anyone to help them. The rise of the Labour Party in 1935 saw a radical changes and a new start to the organisation of the Fedration of Labour (FoL). Read the full article. After years of restrictions and shortages, the economy was booming. The 1951 Waterfront Dispute is event of great significance to New Zealand society, as it … A key political cause the 1951 Waterfront Dispute was the general dissatisfaction of Labour Government during and after the Second World War. History of the waterfront dispute. Sharpeville Massacre: What were its causes and what were its effects in South Africa and internationally? All non-text content is subject to specific conditions. The 1951 Waterfront Dispute was simply not a stuggle over working conditions amd wage claims, it was clash and a power struggle between the working class, the employers and the Government. 3:56 PREVIEW Idle Ships. The Cold War. About the collection. The immediate cause of the 1951 waterfront dispute was the post-war economic situation. and less contained 1951 waterfront dispute. One illustration of the implications ofthe new legislation is the waterfront dispute which began to unfoldin January 1998. Despite the scale of the 1951 dispute, the wider labour movement was not united behind the watersiders' cause. When New Zealand watersiders demanded better pay and conditions in 1951, their employers refused. See a transcript and reference for this file. Protest and reform … The 1951 waterfront dispute. During World War II, the New Zealand government played a much larger role in peoples’ lives than it ever had before. Arguing that New Zealand’s vital export trade was under threat, the National government declared a state of emergency on 21 February. In January 1951 the Arbitration Court awarded a 15% wage increase to all workers covered by the industrial arbitration system. The opposing sides denounced each other as Nazis, Commies, traitors and terrorists. The Waterside Workers’ Union protested by refusing to work overtime from 13 February. As the dispute dragged on into winter, there was widespread intimidation and sporadic outbursts of violence. The mostly British-owned shipping companies that employed the wharfies instead offered 9%, claiming that earlier waterfront wage increases should be taken into account. 9/11: What were the causes and consequences for the US, Afghanistan, and the rest of the world? This dispute gives the Labour Party a good weapon with which to fight the next election. It was illegal even to give food to strikers’ children. Bombing and result. The militant workers were determined to achieve the goal in bringing changes in the Arbitration system and confronting the Government. The dispute took place in a climate of Cold War suspicion. Although it was not as violent as the Great Strike of 1913, it lasted longer – 151 days, from February to July – and involved more workers. More than half a century later, the 1951 dispute continues to hold a central place in the history and mythology of the New Zealand labour movement. Radio and television. Commercial re-use may be allowed on request. Jock Barnes, meanwhile, had been sentenced to two months in prison for 'defaming' a police constable. From 13 February of restrictions and shortages, what caused the 1951 waterfront dispute wider Labour movement not... 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