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Story: Unions and employee organisations

Unions at Parliament, 1945

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Unions at Parliament, 1945

During the Second World War even the most militant unionists supported the war effort and the government against the common enemy of fascism. At this anti-fascist rally in 1945, minister of industrial manpower Angus McLagan speaks from the steps of Parliament. To his right are union leaders F. P. Walsh and ‘Big Jim’ Roberts, with Labour MP Dan Sullivan between them.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, John Dobrée Pascoe Collection (PAColl-0783)

Reference: 1/4-001841; F

by John Dobrée Pascoe

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

Erik Olssen, Unions and employee organisations – The second Federation of Labour, 1935–45, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/22271/unions-at-parliament-1945 (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Erik Olssen, published 4 February 2010.