A Century of Struggle

A Century of Struggle (1981, 40mins)

A Century of Struggle chronicles the hundred-year history of the NZ Seamen’s Union from its formation in 1879. Using original film and archive footage, it examines the working lives of seamen and the battles fought by their union from the sailing ships of colonial days to the modern turbine-powered container vessels. Because the Seamen’s Union was frequently at the forefront of working-class struggle in New Zealand, its story involves most of the crucial issues and events in the history of the union movement generally, including the great maritime strikes of 1890 and 1913 and the waterfront dispute of 1951.

Interviewees: Fred Annabell, Dave Clarke, Joe Fleetwood, Brian (‘Slim’) Ford, Peter Galt, Dave Graham, Tom Gregory, Leonard (‘Bluey’) Holland, Pat Lumber, Alick MacDonald, Bill (‘Pincher’) Martin, John O’Neill, Paul Palmer, Garry Parsloe, Harry Scullion, Farquhar Stoddart, Hector Thorpe, Mick Williams, Alan Windsor, Jim Woods

Credits:
Vanguard Films, 1981, for the NZ Seamen’s Union
Written, produced, directed and filmed by Alister Barry, Rod Prosser & Russell Campbell
Music Alistair Cuthill, Alistair McQuillan
Narrator Des Kelly
Scenes from ‘The Coaster’ directed by Cecil Holmes
1951 waterfront dispute footage Rudy Sunde
Library footage NZ National Film Unit, TVNZ

© 1980, 2016 Maritime Union of New Zealand