Kaikorai Valley College pupil Dartanyon Richards (15) said he would have been at school but the strike resulted in a day off.
Instead he joined his great-grandfather Charlie Boyes (82) volunteering to clean the war memorials at Queens Gardens ahead of Anzac Day.
"I just thought I might as well make use of it," Dartanyon said.
Mr Boyes had a 20-year career in the New Zealand army, joining in 1959.
He started in the Otago and Southland Regiment and ended his service as a staff sergeant in the 4th Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, with a British Empire Medal.
He was also a member of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association and the Kensington Army Garrison Club.
Other members of the family had also served in the New Zealand military.
Mr Boyes had only physically missed one Anzac Day service in 62 years, due to Covid-19-related cancellations.
Even then he had volunteered to help with commemorations, making Anzac-themed letterbox decorations with his great grandsons.
He hoped as many people as possible would turn out to the dawn service on April 25.
"Now, younger people tend to forget about these things if they haven’t been told by their parents, their grandparents or their teachers — and the teachers are sadly lacking in that interest," Mr Boyes said.
The pair had asked and been granted permission to clean the memorial from the city council, Mr Boyes said.
