said it was a strike. When the Waterside Workers' Union refused to accept arbitration the government could make a stand on the principle of defending industrial law and order. Overtime ban On 8 February 1951, in protest to the employers wage offer, the Wellington and New Plymouth branches the Waterside Workers Union unilaterally decided to imposed overtime bans at their ports and asked other branches to do the same. The union executive met on 13 February to consider the responses from branches about the wage increase, and at 2 PM sent telegrams to all branches advising to impose an overtime ban from 5 PM. Upon being advised of this, the employers advised that if the overtime ban continued the next day then the workers would be stood down for two days as a penalty, and could only be eligible for work again on Saturday morning. While workers at Auckland and Wellington were not asked to work overtime on 14 February, due to Harbour Board employees at those ports holding meetings, workers at other ports were penalised for refusing overtime. On 15 February, workers at Auckland and Wellington ports also refused overtime and were penalised. The union claimed that the employers actions were a lockout because while union members were willing to work 40 hours a week, the employers were only allowing them to work 16 hours a week. The Minister of Labour Bill Sullivan then invited representatives of both the union and employers to meet with him and the then Acting-Prime Minister Keith Holyoake on the morning of the 16th in an attempt to resolve the dispute. The lockout The lockout was a major political issue of the time. The National government, led by Sidney Holland and the Minister of Labour Bill Sullivan, introduced heavy handed emergency regulations, and brought in the navy and army to work the wharves and also deregistered the Waterside Workers' Union under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Under the emergency regulations Holland's government censored the press, made striking illegal and even made it illegal to give money or food to either strikers or their families. The proclamations have been described as "the most illiberal legislation ever enacted in New Zealand". In a surprise move, the FOL, which was supported by the majority of unions, backed the government. FOL President Fintan Patrick Walsh was of the opinion that the manner of the strike threatened the