1821 Oct First recorded wages dispute when Maori sawyers in the Bay of Islands went on strike for the right to be paid in money or in gunpowder.

1840 Feb Samuel Duncan Parnell (a Carpenter) lands at Petone and refuses to work for George Hunter unless he can have an eight hour day starting at 8 am.   Reputed to have said "There are 24 hours given us per day and eight of these should be for work, eight for sleep, and the remaining eight for recreation and in which men do what little things they do for themselves."

1841 Jul Labourers for the New Zealand Company at New Plymouth went on strike in protest at the rise in the cost of the Company supplied provisions. They were forced back to work the next day on the same conditions but had to work an hour longer for the same pay.

1842 Wellington Benevolent Society of Carpenters and Joiners formed.

1846 Man sentenced to 7 days hard labour in Auckland Magistrates Court because he only cut three tons of firewood while his boss thought he should have cut four.

1848 Eight Hour Day Association formed in Dunedin, to campaign for an eight hour day.  This gradually spread to the majority of centres where workers' organisations were developing and became a central campaign of Unions and Trade and Labour Councils.

1849 Feb Attempt by the New Zealand Company to break the 8 hour day agreement was beaten off.

1851 Oct Campaign begun by William Griffin (a Painter) to work shorter hours on a Saturday.

1856 Attempt to introduce a Masters & Servants Act. Provided for instant dismissal and imprisonment for up to four weeks for "any misconduct," including being absent when required.

1857 Nov Campaign launched by William Griffin (a Painter) to introduce an 8 hour day to Auckland which was lagging behind the rest of New Zealand.

1863 May Branch of the English Engineers Union started in Auckland.

1873 Employment of Females Act passed.   Restricted hours women could be required to work to no more than eight hours worked between 9am and 6pm.   Act was amended in 1875 to prohibit the employment of children under ten years of age but there were no enforcement provisions and the Act was largely ignore.   Legislation passed to give women employed in factories five statutory holidays per year.

1876 Apr First Trades and Labour Council formed in the Clanricarde Hotel in Auckland. Made up of small Unions of Bakers, Printers, Shipwrights, Painters, and Tailors, as well as local branches of two British Unions, the Engineers and Carpenters. Total membership was just 158 but that didn’t stop Daily Southern Cross paper from screaming headlines "The tyranny of Labour was threatening to frighten capital."

1880 Jan 3 First National strike. Operators at the Electric Telegraph Department went on strike because they had their overtime allowances cut and the working day lengthened by one and a half hours. Strike was broken by the 8^th of January and the men were forced to sign an apology for striking and were fined as well as losing their pay for the days off. Blacklisted by the Government here as well as Australia.

1885 Jan 8 First National Congress of Unions held in Dunedin. Delegates represented about 2500 Union members.

1886 Our Union came into being when the newly formed Amalgamated Shearers Union of Australasia sent three organisers to New Zealand to enrol members and set up branches. A special effort was made to recruit Maori members who were highly represented in the shearing industry, and the rules were even printed in Maori. Membership in the first year stood at 2300.

1887 Seaman’s Union started Jubilee Shipping Line to defeat anti-union practices at Northern Steam Ship Company.   The NSSC backed down in 1888 and agreed to unionise the work force.

1889 Maritime Council of New Zealand formed

1890 Aug 26 Maritime Council called a general seaman's strike which was soon joined by other young unions. Starting very enthusiastically, the weakness of the unions, many of them only a year old, with little experience, and less resources, soon became apparent. Unfortunately, the strike was soon broken, largely by scab labour.

First Labour Day celebration held in Auckland addressed by Samuel Parnell.

Sweating Commission reported that there was no sweated labour in New Zealand but that women and child workers were exploited.   Two commission members dissented from the decision on the grounds that the exploitation constituted sweated labour. 

1890 Oct 18 First issue of the "Tribune," newspaper printed during the strike.

1890 Oct 28 Maritime Council had been asking Trades Councils to celebrate the 28th of October as a Public Holiday to commemorate the date it was founded, and to campaign in favour of an eight hour day. It was first observed on this date, shortly before the strike ended.

1890 Nov 10 Maritime Council officially ended the dispute and the employers took the opportunity to put the boot in. As an example, At Port Lyttleton an organisation called the Lumpers and Wharf Labourers Association was set up by the local merchants. Of its committee of nine, five, including the Chairman were employers and only members of the association could get work. The Council itself and every member Union, with the sole exception of the seaman's Union ceased to exist shortly afterward. The first national confrontation between Capital and Labour ended in the total defeat of the Unions.

1892 Department of Labour was formed from the old Bureau of Industries under William Pember Reeves. That Department of Labour (unlike the current one) saw its role in life as protecting the rights of working people. Number two in the Department was James Mackay, previously an organiser with the Knights of Labour, and John Lomas who had led the Miners Union during the Maritime strike.

1893  Women get the vote.   Richard Seddon (Liberal) becomes Premier.

1894 Our Union led the way with the appointment of Mrs Aileen Garmson as Secretary of the Christchurch Branch of the Workers Union.

1895 Jan 1 The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act came into force which was to have huge influence over Unions for the next 80 years. In simple terms, if a Union registered under the Act and could not settle an argument with an employer, the Arbitration Court ruled on the matter. This worked well so long as the ruling was in favour of the workers. That was not always the fact of course, and the downside was that no strike action was allowed in those circumstances.

1899 Government passed the Labour Day Act which established the second Wednesday in October as a general holiday for everyone.

1904 Apr Trades and Labour annual Conference at Christchurch passed a resolution by 16 votes to 3 that "conference is of the opinion that an Independent Labour Party should be formed immediately." The new party (called the Independent Political Labour League) put up candidates for the 1905 general election but they all got thrashed. Only one got even enough votes to get his deposit back.

1906 Nov 14 First illegal strike since the introduction of the ICA Act. Auckland Tram drivers went on strike to get a members job back after he was dismissed because he was an active unionist and Trades Council Delegate. The men won their case in less than half a day, and other Unions took notice.

1908 Feb 27 Start of the Blackball Mine Strike. The mine manager sacked several men who had dared to ask for a thirty minute meal break instead of the fifteen put in place by management, and the men voted to go on strike. This was a deliberate challenge to the ICA Act and the Arbitration Court responded by going to Greymouth and fining the Union 75 Pounds. After three months the Company gave in, reinstated the men sacked and allowed a 30 minute break.   No irony seen at the time by the Judge who having just finished telling the miners that 15 minutes for crib was quite reasonable declared Court adjourned for lunch for Two Hours.   Industrial Workers of the World (the "Wobblies") established in New Zealand

1911 The Miners Federation, formed after the success at Blackball, evolved into the Federation of Labour as it tried to involve other than miners unions. Among the first of the new recruits was another ancestor of ours, the Auckland General Labourers Union.

1911 Oct The Labourers Union conducted its first strike against the Auckland Drainage Board for contracting work out. Sound familiar? The Union pulled all its members on public works out (about 600) and after 4 days they won the strike. In December the union put in claims for a new Award and the employers, mostly Local Bodies dragged out the negotiations for several months. Secretly at the same time the employers persuaded a group of the members to break away and form a new organisation, the Auckland and Suburban Local Bodies Labourers Union. This new Union registered under the ICA Act and came to an agreement with the employers who then refused to deal with the old Union.

1912 May 13 Another breakaway of 30 engine drivers started the Waihi Strike when the miners demanded that the engine drivers rejoin the Miners Union. This strike was probably the bitterest in our history, and the only dispute which has led directly to the death of a worker. Even now, after 85 years some people in Waihi will still not speak to members of other families.

1912 Nov 12 Scabs stormed the Miners Union Hall at Waihi and Frederick John Evans one of the defenders was killed by a policeman's baton. The scabs drew up a list of strikers who were forced to leave town with their families under threats of further violence. Hundreds of families, men, women, and children left town (mainly for Auckland) where a Union meeting called on November 30^th officially ended the strike.

1913 The newly formed United Federation of Labour was almost wiped out in a conflict which began from two small isolated disputes which began almost simultaneously in October. Huntly miners went on strike when two of its executive were sacked, and Watersides in Wellington went on strike when a company refused to pay travelling time to shipwrights. The strikes soon spread to other ports and mines and the Federation was forced to take a lead in the dispute.

Employers and Government saw this as a great opportunity to crush the "Red Feds." The main weapons used were the registration of scab unions, enrolling farmers as special constables and scab labour, and the use of police and armed forces to protect the scabs. Hundreds of mounted farmers armed with batons (the strikers called them Massey’s Cossacks) rode into town to reopen the ports. In Auckland the entry of the "specials," caused a general strike, the first in New Zealand which held for more than a week.

In Wellington the specials were involved in daily street fighting which was likened to Mexican Civil War. Altogether almost 16,000 workers, mainly miners, seamen, and watersiders were involved; almost a quarter of the union members, but as the struggle dragged on economic hardship and Government pressure wore them down. A General Strike was called for 10^th of November but it was not supported and on the following day several of the strike leaders were arrested.

1913 Dec 21 The Federation was forced to call an end to the strike but most watersiders found that their jobs had been taken by new men. The Federation survived, but without the backbone of the miners, seamen, and watersiders it was no longer an effective fighting unit.

1914 Union membership is about 70,000 (about 23% of the workforce)

1916 Jul Labour Party formed.

1917 Many working people were against conscription for the First World War which was seen by many as workers from one Country being sent to kill workers from another Country for the benefit of the Employing Class. Miners elected to go on a go slow to show their opposition to conscription and the Government replied by arresting union leaders and prosecuting them. This lead to a general coal strike which lasted for three weeks until the Government brought peace by exempting miners from conscription and promising not to proceed with the arrested men.

1918 Despite being called agents of the Kaiser and/or Bolsheviks, Holland, Fraser, and Semple won by-elections to become the first Labour members of Parliament.

1919 Labour won eight seats in the general election and almost 25% of the vote.   New Zealand Alliance of Labour established by militant Unions such as the Watersiders, Miners and Seamen.

1920 ANZAC Day introduced.

1921 Oct The system of wage increases through the Arbitration Court was proving to be working against workers as the post war boom bubble burst. The seamen went to the Court seeking a wage increase and produced evidence of the enormous profits made by the ship owners during the war years and immediately after. The Court ignored their case and not only cut seaman's wages but cut conditions in some 55 instances.

Communist Party of NZ formed

1923 Jan The Government suspended the manning laws and allowed the employers to employ unqualified scab labour to man the ships. The Union was forced to call off the strike and concede defeat. Freezing Companies found they could easily replace Union workers with scabs, West Coast mine employers locked out their workers for four months before they too abandoned the struggle which smashed their National organisation.

1930 Seamen and Watersiders unite to prevent the unloading of the Japanese registered Brisbane Maru until concessions were won and the company renounced the use of non-union crews.

1932    Unemployed riots occur in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin over relief work, living standards and political liberties.   This lead to the introduction of the Public Safety Conservation Act which would be used to introduce Martial Law in 1951. Christchurch tram strike over wage cuts and sackings lead to riots.

1933 Unemployed workers stage hunger marches in major cities and from Gisborne to Wellington. 

1935 Nov First Labour Government comes into power which introduced (among many other things) a minimum wage, a forty hour week, and compulsory unionism.

1936 Easter Monday becomes a Holiday.

1937 Apr Federation of Labour established in Wellington in the form which it stayed in until voluntarily wound up to be replaced by the CTU. Union membership has soared from 80,929 in December 1935 (16%) to 232,986 in December 1937 (46%).

1942 Tramways Union wins equal pay for women conductors in the first successful equal pay case.

1944 Labour Government introduces two weeks annual leave for workers.

1948 Mar 10 900 members of our Union went on strike at Maraetai because the Project Engineers believed that Len Clapham was a "troublemaker, an agitator, and a disturber of workmen." Clapham, Secretary of the Mangakino Branch of the NZ Workers Union was a returned serviceman who had been wounded in Italy and was for a time President of the local RSA. He was however a member of the Communist Party, and the engineers wanted him transferred to Auckland and out of their hair. Bob Semple who was minister of works at the time went on record about the "trial of strength between communism and the Government," but after the strike had been going for a month both sides agreed to arbitration. The Tribunal agreed to Clapham's removal but the men then elected another communist, Don Ross as their new Secretary, and to avoid further victimisation they made the Secretary's job a full time paid position.

1949 Mar 25 The Carpenters was another Union which was punished for having communist leadership. Following a go slow at some companies, (the tactic had been used successfully the previous year to get concessions from the employers) the employers locked out all Carpenters, whether they had been on the go slow or not. On this date the Labour Minister of Labour de-registered the Union, cancelled its award, and the Master Builders started a new Union. For some time the old and new Unions existed side by side, but then the Government passed a new law which forced all Carpenters to join the new union.

Election of the first National Party Government (1949-1957).

1950 During the Carpenters dispute the Watersiders had written to the Federation of Labour accusing its leaders of gross betrayal of on affiliated union for not backing the Carpenters. They were threatened with expulsion, but ended up walking out first from the 1950 Conference with some 50 other delegates. This was the first major split since the unity conference of 1937, but the New Zealand Trade Union Conference which they set up fell to bits when the watersiders, who were the main supporters, were dealt to the following year.

1951 Feb In 1949 the National Party had defeated Labour, and had been looking for an excuse to tackle the watersiders. It came when the employers refused to pass on the full wages increase granted by the Court. The Union imposed an overtime ban and the employers threatened dismissal if it wasn't lifted. The men refused and were dismissed. Thousands of other workers became involved in the strike in protest against the use of the emergency laws, and the use of troops as strike breakers. The Federation of Labour entered the contest - on the side of the National Government.

The Federation saw this as a marvellous opportunity to destroy its rival, the TUC, and to eliminate the communist influences from the union movement. The Federation issued a call for Unions to return to work which some of the striking unions obeyed. The Federation approved of the Government forming a scab union in Auckland and the employers gave the new "Union," fifteen hundred pounds to get going. The Government held all the cards in this dispute and it was war to the bitter end with its demands growing almost daily, the main ones being that the leadership of the union had to go; the national union had to go; compulsory arbitration had to be agreed.

This strike was the most extreme example we have ever seen of a Government using every force at its disposal to smash the union movement. No media could publish any article which told the workers side of the story. It was an offence to offer any food or money or any other assistance to a striker, his wife, or children. Every attempt by the strikers to publicise their case by marches in Auckland or Wellington were broken up violently by the police. Loyalty to their leaders and the traditional spirit of union solidarity kept the dispute alive for 151 days, but on the 10^th of July the National Strike Committee approved an end to the dispute. Seamen and miners were largely able to resume their jobs, but many watersiders found their jobs taken. At the cost of forty two million pounds and more than a million working days, the Government had smashed the militant wing of the unions.

1959 Trade Union’s demand for incorporation of General Wage Order into Awards and Agreements is granted.

1960 IC & A Act Amendment requires unions to keep proper books of accounts and to have them audited at least annually.

1961 Bill to abolish compulsory unionism - changed to "Qualified" and "Unqualified" preference clauses. Labour Department no longer responsible for enforcement of membership provisions.

1965 January second is a holiday

1968 Court issues nil wage order - mass stop work meetings held throughout the country - protest marches - 15,000 workers out in protest - Federation of Labour and Employers Federation meetings reach agreement - called "unholy alliance". Government under pressure instructs court to rehear the case and to take into consideration increases in postages, telephones etc. Court comes down with decision for 5%, however not unanimous as Judge Blair still refused to agree.

1969 General Wage order Act.

1971 Stabilisation of remuneration Act imposes limit on wage increases - remuneration authority established to which all agreements in excess of a certain amount had to be submitted for prior approval.

1972 Equal Pay Act - Abolition of remuneration Authority.

1973 Industrial relations Act replaces IC & A Act, the Labour Disputes Investigation Act and the Industrial Relations Act 1949. First increment under Equal Pay Act. Economic Stabilisation regulations imposes partial wage freeze - wages tribunal established.   Waitangi day is a holiday.

1974 Northern Drivers dispute results in Bill Anderson being imprisoned for contempt of Court - Workers protest - stoppages - mass meetings. Wage adjustment regulations introduced.   Third weeks annual leave legislated for by Labour Government.

1975 Compulsory/voluntary unionism rises its head again with the election of the Muldoon led National Party (1975-1984).

1976 Amendments to industrial relations Act introduce wide range of penalties - Commerce Act and injunctions for non-industrial stoppages - mass protest meetings held

1977 Final increment under equal Pay Act.

Ngati Whatua occupies Bastion Point.   After 506 days they are forcibly removed.

1978 Several small union awards balloted - all return positive vote on retaining unqualified preference. Unqualified preference clause deleted from Two Clerical Workers Awards by order in council. Widespread unemployment. Clerical Workers vote to retain "Unqualified Preference Clause".

1978-80 Mangere Bridge Lockout.

1980 Government forced to back down after intervening in Kinleith Mill negotiations.

1983 National Government introduced Voluntary Unionism and Youth Rates.

1984 Mar 27 Wellington Trades Hall bombed and Ernie Abbott (Trades Hall Caretaker) killed in the blast.   Trades Council Executive was meeting in the building that day to organise an industrial campaign against wage freeze provisions introduced by Muldoon Government. 

1987 Labour relations Act.

1988-89 Builders Labourers Redundancy and Industry allowance campaign.

1989 Federation of Labour and Combined State Unions combine to form the Council of Trade Unions.

Wellington Drivers Union Amalgamated with Central Branch of NZ Labourers Union.

1990 Charlie Clayton (Secretary NZ Labourers Union) and Dan Duggan (Secretary NZ Workers Union) began to work out an amalgamation Plan.

1990 Pay equity legislation passed by the Labour Government and repealed immediately National came into office in 1991.

1991 May 15 Introduction of Employment Contracts Act.

National Government cut unemployed and other benefits by up to 25%.  Over $1 billion taken from beneficiaries.

NZ Workers Union membership voted themselves out of existence and amalgamated with the NZ Labourers Union which was renamed the Amalgamated Workers Union of New Zealand (AWUNZ).   The Miners who had earlier amalgamated with the NZ Workers Union and operated as a fourth branch opted to stay on their own.   Shortly afterwards when the true financial position of the NZ Workers Union became evident, the decision was taken to adopt our current structure and to become three autonomous Unions (Northern, Central, and Southern) operating nationally under the AWUNZ Federation.

1992 Workers locked out at Alliance Textiles as the first lock out under the ECA.   Lock out continued for several years.

1993 May 1 Trade Union Federation formed by 11 Unions from manufacturing, transport and construction sectors.

1996 National Government announces intention to expand prison labour into producing for the market.   Prisoners paid 92 cents per day.

1997 Business Round Table and Employers Federation pressure National/New Zealand First Coalition Government to implement second wave of Labour Market deregulation including abolition of Labour Courts and Tribunals and introduction of employers to dismiss at will.

1999 9 years of National Government end with the election of a Labour/Alliance Party coalition.

2000 October 2 Employment Contracts Act replaced with Industrial Relations Act

Trade Union Federation wound up voluntarily and we re-affiliated to the Council of Trade Unions.

In its first term the Labour Government has

This brief history only mentions significant dates and events and does not recognise the many struggles that were needed to achieve, overtime rates of pay, Annual and Public Holidays, sick and bereavement leave, decent site accommodation, boot and clothing issues, supply of tea, milk, sugar, etc, the many penalty payments we enjoy today, and the many other issues that were fought for and won over the years.