The scheme was administered by the National Dock Labour Board, and by local boards, made up of equal numbers of "persons representing dock workers in the port and of persons representing the employers of such dockworkers", the scheme was financed by a levy on the employers.
The strike was a rank-and-file protest for an increase in basic pay, and was not officially supported by the Transport and General Workers Union.
The then Employment Secretary, Norman Fowler, told MPs the scheme had become 'a total anachronism' that stood in the way of a modern and efficient ports industry.
[1] Notable members of the National Dock Labour Board included Jack Dash.
[3] The club achieved national success when winning the coxless pairs title at the inaugural 1972 British Rowing Championships.