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Story: Strikes and labour disputes

Illegal pamphlet, 1951 waterfront dispute

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Illegal pamphlet, 1951 waterfront dispute

All publications supporting the watersiders’ position during the 1951 dispute were banned under special government regulations. The wharfies used hidden printing presses and a network of secret supporters to produce and distribute their information. This pamphlet, illustrated by Max Bollinger, names the members of the Wellington watersiders’ union who were ‘scabs’ (strike-breakers).

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-A-LABOUR-1951-04-front

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Mark Derby, Strikes and labour disputes – The 1951 waterfront dispute, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/20498/illegal-pamphlet-1951-waterfront-dispute (accessed 14 June 2026).

Story by Mark Derby, published 13 May 2010, updated 1 March 2016.