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Story: Strikes and labour disputes

Supporting Solidarity, 1982

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Supporting Solidarity, 1982

Political strikes were held in New Zealand in response to international issues. In February 1982, Wellington unions called a stopwork to support the Polish shipyard workers who defied their government through the Solidarity movement. Along with other supporters, the unions assembled in Civic Square and marched to Parliament with banners flying.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1982/0409/21

by Phil Reid

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 decline of the arbitration system, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/20502/supporting-solidarity-1982 (accessed 4 June 2026).

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