30/04/2026
This International Workers’ Day, we’re shining a light on the women whose labour shaped Aotearoa New Zealand’s garment industry, and who fought to transform the conditions within it. In particular, we're reflecting on the legacy of the Dunedin Tailoresses' Union – the first women’s trade union in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Established in 1889 in response to harsh working conditions in the local clothing industry, it went on to become one of the country’s most influential women’s unions.
While poor treatment and pitiful pay was a familiar experience for many wage-earning women at the time, tailoresses made up the largest affected workforce. Despite the Employment of Females Act 1873, which attempted to protect women workers, conditions remained grim with women labouring for long hours in factories over cutting tables and sewing machines in what were commonly described as “sweating” conditions. Pay was meagre too. And some workers were even forced to provide their own thread.
The collective persistence and determination of these Dunedin tailoresses in response to such unfair conditions brought about significant reforms including higher wages, shorter working hours and the appointment of female factory inspectors. It also supported other tailoresses’ unions across the country. The union remained active until 1945.
Discover more about the Dunedin Tailoresses' Union at the links in the comments.
Image: Women working in the Roslyn Woollen Mill. Making New Zealand :Negatives and prints from the Making New Zealand Centennial collection. Ref: MNZ-0704-1/4-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23246571
