Arthur Rorris, secretary of the South Coast Labor Council, Wollongong, said the actions of the workers in the dispute "will never be forgotten".
"They had said that 'we would not be complicit in the imperialist events and the atrocities being committed against the Chinese people'," he said.
Rorris added that it was also significant how the dispute reflected the voice and role of the working class against war and its costs worldwide.
"This is commemorated and celebrated every year because that is a message that future generations need to be reminded and to understand … particularly since World War II because this is part of our history and we want to make sure that the workers of today, our communities and future generations understand that peace must be the objective," he said.
Garry Keane, representing a veterans' group of the Maritime Union of Australia, said the local community will always remember that the Dalfram Dispute workers "took a courageous stand in support of the Chinese people".
"It showed that the workers of the world are about peace, not war. Very proudly, we come here every year to commemorate that together with the community," he said.
