The New Zealand Federation of Labour, also known as ''The Red Federation'' and ''The United Federation of Labour'', was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

federation of syndicalist

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

s which was formalised in 1909. The federation is best known for its involvement in the nation-wide Great Strike of 1913 which almost brought New Zealand's economy to a halt. The Federation's members were often referred to as 'Red Feds'.

Origin

The federation was originally formed as the ''New Zealand Federation of Miners'' in 1908 after a strike of coal miners in

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

. The strike was largely in opposition to an arbitration act by government which meant that industrial disputes had to be settled in a special court. In 1909 the federation was renamed to the New Zealand Federation of Labour. The Federation was inspired by American union federations including the

Industrial Workers of the World The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines general ...

. Prominent leaders included Bob Semple who in 1935 became

Minister of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

with the first Labour Government.

1913 General Strike

In 1913, the Federation played a leading role in nation-wide strike action which almost escalated into a general strike. This industrial action followed a dispute in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

where waterside workers demanded better pay, and another dispute in

Huntly Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlement ...

. The strikes were ultimately defeated in 1914 by scab workers and strike-breaking police.

Defeat and legacy

The Federation was defeated during the Great Strike. Many prominent leaders of the federation, and other socialist organisations, formed the Labour party in 1916.

Notes

{{Organized labor, sp=ox Great Strike, 1913 Trade unions in New Zealand Syndicalist trade unions Labour relations in New Zealand Industrial Workers of the World in New Zealand