 Under the scheme, dock work was considered a "job for life", with any registered docker laid off by any of the 150 firms associated with the scheme either being guaranteed employment elsewhere or a £25,000 pay off.The National Dock Labour Scheme was abolished in 1989 by the Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher.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.