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Story: Strikes and labour disputes

Relief food distribution

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Relief food distribution

Special emergency regulations made it illegal to support unionists or their families taking part in the massive industrial dispute of 1951. These men and women are defying the regulations by gathering potatoes at Henderson, West Auckland, for the striking waterside workers.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PAColl-4920-1-2-01

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/photograph/20500/relief-food-distribution (accessed 24 June 2026).

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