1951 lockout commemoration

1951 Lockout commemorated: event planned for Lyttelton

By Gary Horan Lyttelton Branch Secretary

Chairperson of the Canterbury Socialist Society Tom Roud approached me about the 70th anniversary of the 1951 lockout and how we should commemorate this.

We contacted the Loons Club Committee, and we are looking at a weekend celebration on the 12–14 November.

At this stage a party with a band for the Saturday night and a BBQ for the Sunday afternoon, and an historic movie showing on the Friday or Sunday night. To be confirmed when things are finalized subject to COVID.

The Loons Club was born out of the 1951 lockout as the then Lyttelton Waterfront Workers’ Social Club sold the building to the Lyttelton Working Men’s Club for one pound to stop the Government seizing the building.

The Loons Club was originally comprised of wharfies, seafarers and locals who supported them during the dispute. These days the membership is from all walks of life in Lyttelton.

The present Committee is doing a great job promoting the venue and the partnership we have with them is a great indication of the bond that has always been there between our Union and the Loons.

Having our MUNZ Lyttelton branch office back in such an historic building is a fitting and respectful way to honour our past members who did so much to make our union into what it is today.

Older Seafarers will remember having stop work meetings there and Xmas functions back in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The Loons Club was built in 1947 by the Lyttelton wharfies for their social club. My grandfather Bill Smith was one of the original builders.

In 1951, the then National Government and Prime Minister Sid Holland locked out the wharfies for refusing to work overtime from 6pm to 9pm discharging lampblack unless they were paid a halfpenny penal rate. Lampblack is an extremely dirty and toxic material.

Wharfies of the day started at 7am and worked until 5pm, had an hour for tea and came back for overtime from 6pm to 9pm. Working lampblack took them so long to clean up after that they wanted a small payment to compensate.

The employers with the backing of the Government locked them out. Rank and file Seafarers supported the wharfies, as did the Miners Union and other workers.

The dispute lasted for 151 days from February to July 1951. The Government passed a law that if you supported a locked-out worker or his family with food or any kind of support you were liable to prosecution.

There is a story of a New Zealand coastal ship in port for the duration of the lockout and the cook had a huge pot of soup going every day and fed the locked-out unionists. Apparently the pot was never emptied but constantly topped up, or so the story goes, at the end of the lockout the pot was cleaned out and there was cans of Nugget and all sorts in the pot but everyone liked the soup.

Loyalty cards were presented to all members who stayed staunch through the whole lockout and were the most prized possessions of unionists of the time. The lockout was not a victory for the Union movement as the loyal members of the time had no recourse but to vote to return to work after a long, bitter struggle. There were bitter memories, and families and communities were split for many years. The “Scabs” were called that on the Lyttelton waterfront the whole time they worked there, and some hotels in Lyttelton would not serve them right up to the 1990’s.

Our Union then gained conditions over the years and learned a lot about disputes because of the 1951 lockout. The National Government of the time orchestrated the dispute to call an early election and blame all the woes of the country on the locked out unionists. Sadly, they were returned to power with an increased majority.

Our forebears’ struggles gained us the conditions we have today. We are lucky to be part of such a great Union that has been through the hard times and the good. MUNZ was formed by the amalgamation of two of the strongest and proudly militant unions in New Zealand. Nothing is gained without struggle, and we are fortunate to be part of such an historic union. Our logo is worn with pride by us all and whether on a cap or shirt is sought after by other union’s members.

Attend meetings, engage with your delegates and reps, and remember, we are a democratic Union where the majority decides. Not everyone will agree with some decisions, but the strength of our union is we all acknowledge this democratic process and whether you agree or not, we abide by any democratic decision made.

At the old Union hall on the waterfront in Lyttelton there was a large sign on the wall “UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL” – this is just as true now as it was back in those days. As I said before we are lucky to be part of our Union, but our Union needs us all to participate to stay strong.

The Loons Club today