ASLEF annual delegate conference - Durham
2025-05-19 - 2025-05-23

PCS annual delegate conference - Brighton
2025-05-20 - 2025-05-23
ADC 2025 will be a hybrid conference. The physical conference, held in the Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR, will include speakers and voting from the conference floor; speaking and voting procedures will also be open to delegates attending online.

FBU annual conference - Blackpool
2025-05-20 - 2025-05-24
CONFERENCE 2025
The Imperial Hotel,
North Promenade, Blackpool, FY1 2HB
20, 21, 22 & 23 May 2025

Be a Councillor
2025-05-22 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/London)
If you are passionate about your local community, we need you!
Councillors make a huge difference to the quality of life of local people and how local issues are dealt with. We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect the communities they serve to put themselves forward for election.
The Disability Policy Centre are running, an online, ‘Be a Councillor Event’, to find out about the role of a local councillor, and how you can put yourself forward to be elected to serve your community.

UCU Congress 2025 - Liverpool
2025-05-24 - 2025-05-27
UCU’s supreme policy-making body of the union is its annual congress. Congress includes separate annual meetings of UCU’s further and higher education sector conferences, where policy particular to these areas is decided.

In addition, special sector conferences are sometimes called between the annual congress meetings in order to pass policy on specific urgent matters.

Change: How? A Decade of Radical Renewal
2025-05-31 11:00 - 18:00
Labour for a New Democracy is organising a session at ‘CHANGE: HOW? A Decade of Radical Renewal’, a one-day conference organised by Compass about the Labour government’s vision for the future and how we can truly transform our economy, democracy and society.
Click here to buy tickets.

Marx Memorial Library - book sale - London
2025-06-07 12:00 - 13:30
Our twice-yearly Second-Hand Book Sale
11am to 3pm

Saturday, 7 June 2025 – 11:00am
Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London, EC1R 0DU

Contact
Email: info@marx-memorial-library.org.uk
Phone: 020 7523 1485

GMB Congress - Brighton
2025-06-08 - 2025-06-13

BFAWU annual conference - Yarnfield
2025-06-14 - 2025-06-20
BFAWU conference meets each year to discuss, review and update the union’s policy agenda. It is the highest decision-making body in the union. Delegates vote on resolutions that will provide the outline of the Unions work over the coming year.
2025 Annual Conference will be held at; Yarnfield Park, Yarnfield, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0NL
The venue is a cashless venue which only accepts card payments.
Conference Delegates will arrive Saturday 13th June and depart Thursday 19th June 2024

TUC Midlands & Stand Up TO Racism Regional Summit
2025-06-14 11:30 - 17:00
The annual TUC Midlands and Stand Up To Racism anti racism summit will take place on 14 June.
This year’s event will have a particular focus on understanding the rise of the far right, the tactics that they employ, the differences between groups on the right and, crucially, how we combat their narratives.

Unison National Delegate Conference - Liverpool
2025-06-17 - 2025-06-21
ACC Liverpool Kings Dock Street, Liverpool L3 4FP

TUC Women Chainmakers' Festival - Cradley Heath
2025-06-28 11:30 - 16:00
An annual event, featuring national entertainers and speakers, including a ‘MaryMacarthur’ in period costume delivering one of Mary’s rousing speeches and a procession of modern unions and ‘strikers’ dressed as Edwardian chainmakers, the festival ensures that this historic episode is celebrated by the local community and trade unionists from all over the country.
The Women Chainmakers’ Festival is coordinated by the TUC Midlands bringing together trade unions and community groups to host the only Trade Union run festival to celebrate the success of women. It is held at the Mary Macarthur Gardens in Cradley – Heath the home of the 1910 dispute.
The Gardens are watched over by an inspiring statue depicting Mary Macarthur and the women Chainmakers.
The Festival today is a family friendly event bringing alive memories of the past whilst inspiring visions for the future through street theatre, re-enactments, live metalworking, political stalls and speeches, music, children’s activities and entertainment.
As we have learnt, the Women Chainmakers worked in inhumane conditions; they did not own or control their means of production. The women had few rights and their living and social conditions, lack of education and limited experience outside of their immediate community made them vulnerable to exploitation.
The Women Chainmakers’ appalling working conditions could correspond with our understanding of modern-day slavery– exploitation, coercion, manipulation and an abuse of power by employers. We must remember that the plight of these women only became known due to the Sweated Industries exhibition of 1906.
Today, in Britain, Sweated Labour still exists. People work in precarious circumstances, in unsafe working conditions, for starvation salaries, and they remain unorganised and exploited.
There is much to celebrate and commemorate about the women Chainmakers of Cradley Heath and, sadly, their example and circumstances remains relevant to many working in Britain today.
The Chainmakers’ Festival brings the Black Country community together with the Trade Union movement. Through examining our history we can deliver a better future for women and our wider society.

Unite the Union - policy conference - Brighton
2025-07-07 - 2025-07-12

Durham Miners Gala
2025-07-12 - 2025-07-13
Held on the second Saturday of July the Durham Miners Gala sees trade unionists from across the country descend on Durham city and the event has developed into the largest gathering of trade unionists in the country. Highlights include wave after wave of banners, each typically accompanied by a brass band, which are marched to the old Racecourse, where political speeches are delivered. In the afternoon a miners’ service is also held in Durham Cathedral which may include the blessing of any new banners.
In 2025 make sure you put time in your diary to join one of the most important days in the trade union calendar. Find out more from the Durham Miners’ Association.
The Past We Inherit. The Future We Build.

Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival
2025-07-18 - 2025-07-19
This annual festival where thousands of people come together to celebrate trade unionism and remember the role of the Tolpuddle Martyrs offers a full programme of traditional and contemporary music and other attractions.
There has been an annual gathering to mark the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs since 1930s. The event sees thousands of trade unionists from around the UK and the world descend on the small village in Dorset to celebrate the memory and legacy of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
Tolpuddle 2025
The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival isn’t run like a commercial festival and relies upon volunteers and the generosity of unions and allies. It doesn’t make a profit and the TUC covers the deficit. As the festival has grown to include a large variety of activities, the organisers have introduced affordable tickets. The organisers remain committed to ensuring this festival is accessible to working class families and trade unionists. The cost depends on when people arrive, whether they camp, stay in local accommodation or just come for a short day visit. The organisers offer discount rates for children, with free weekend entry for children under five.
If you are coming for the Friday and/or Saturday entertainment, you must have a valid weekend entry wristband. And if you are camping, camping and/or parking passes need to be purchased in addition to the wristband(s).
With the large rally and march on Sunday, the organisers remain committed to keeping this vibrant part of the festival free to attend but visitors will be charged a small (approx £15) fee for parking if coming with their own vehicle. Sunday Shuttle Buses are also available for Sunday day-guests to book. Please respect the Festival and safety of the local community by using the car parks. The organisers work closely with villagers and the security team to prevent people from parking on the narrow lane verges.

Up to date details from the main Tolpuddle Martyrs festival event website will appear closer to the time of the event.

Musicians' Union Delegate Conference - Liverpool
2025-07-22 - 2025-07-24
The MU’s next biennial Delegate Conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel, City Centre Liverpool, on Tuesday 22 July and Wednesday 23 July 2025
Conference is an exciting event that gives members the chance to produce new MU policy, guide the future work of the MU, engage in debate on the issues that matter to them most and ensure that the MU is working for all members, all of the time.
Past conferences have seen members set the agenda on issues such as: streaming, better representation of marginalised musicians, lobbying for arts funding, protecting BBC Introducing, advocating for instrumental music tuition, and informing members about photo ID for voting purposes. Conference is your chance to support the MU in creating a fairer, more equitable industry and trade union for all musicians.
At conference you will hear all about the work the MU has undertaken over the past two years and hear from industry speakers and MPs. You’ll also have plenty of time to network and connect with other members.
Catch up on what happened at the last Delegate Conference in 2023.

TUC Congress 2025 - Brighton
2025-09-07 - 2025-09-11 | Online
The 157th annual TUC Congress will be held on 7 – 10 September 2025, Brighton.

Information for sponsors, exhibitors and fringe organisers
TUC Congress over the years

Wigan Diggers Festival
2025-09-13 - 2025-09-14
We are looking forward to this year’s festival, more information to follow soon, please put the date in your diaries, and hopefully see you all then.

GMB - Hear from experts and ask questions
2025-09-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Support for electoral reform is growing and as a GMB member, we need your help to bring the rest of the GMB on board.
Please will you consider taking our motion to your Branch meeting for GMB Congress 2026?
Before doing so, we appreciate that you may want more information so we have organised an online session exclusively for GMB members where you can hear from experts and ask questions. Here are the details:
Date: Wednesday 17th September 2025
Time: 6pm to 7pm
The meeting will be on the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87828707934?pwd=[REDACTED]
Who supports electoral reform?

The latest British Social Attitudes survey shows that 60% of the British public now support proportional representation (PR).
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections is the largest APPG in Parliament.
ASLEF, BFAWU, FBU, Musicians Union, PCS, Prospect, TSSA, UCU, Unison, Unite and USDAW support electoral reform. CWU is holding a national policy forum to discuss the merits of adopting a PR election process this autumn.

Next steps
Papers calling for motions will be sent to GMB branches from head office in October. All you need to do is let your Branch Secretary know that you will be coming to the next meeting with a motion to discuss.
We will give you all the help you need to support you through the GMB policy-making process – all you need to do is ask.
We hope you can join us on 17th September. Meanwhile, please do have a read of our updated Trade Union Case for Political Reform.

CWU - Discuss the merits of adopting a PR election process
2025-09-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Support for electoral reform is growing and CWU is planning a national policy forum for the autumn to ‘discuss the merits of adopting a PR election process’. This is in line with motion 56 which was unanimously passed at CWU’s conference in 2022.
We appreciate that you may want more information about electoral reform so we have organised an online session exclusively for CWU members where you can hear from experts and ask questions. Here are the details:
Date: Wednesday 23rd September 2025
Time: 6pm to 7pm
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86567237376?pwd=[REDACTED]
Who supports electoral reform?

The latest British Social Attitudes survey shows that 60% of the British public now support proportional representation (PR).
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections is the largest APPG in Parliament.
ASLEF, BFAWU, FBU, Musicians Union, PCS, Prospect, TSSA, UCU, Unison, Unite and USDAW support electoral reform. CWU is holding a national policy forum to discuss the merits of adopting a PR election process this autumn.

Next steps
We will let you know when we find out more about the policy forum and give you all the help you need to support you through CWU’s policy-making process – all you need to do is ask.
We hope you can join us on 23rd September. Meanwhile, please do have a read of our updated Trade Union Case for Political Reform.

Making Social Media Videos to Stop the Far Right - online
2025-12-09 14:00 - 15:30
Far right narratives and hate dominate our digital spaces, on TikTok, Insta and Facebook. This must change – and you can change it. Trade union members like you can make powerful social media videos – videos that can turn the tide and stop the far right.
This 90-minute online session will introduce how short, authentic videos can shift the narrative and strengthen solidarity.
This training is aimed at both public sector workers and industrial & manufacturing workers
This hands-on workshop will

Teach you to use your phone to make quality videos
Learn what makes social videos effective — how to hook attention, land your message, and inspire action
Includes intro to scripting, filming and editing social media videos that cut through.

By the end of the 90 minute session, you’ll leave with the confidence, practical skills and tools to start making progressive social media videos.
The session will be co-run by Richard Roaf and Craig Stewart. Richard has years of experience of making viral videos, and training thousands of people to produce social content that reaches big audiences and changes the world. Craig is a former petrochemical worker and now Project Officer at TUC, who has started producing powerful social media videos in 2025.

Webinar: Building worker voices online - taster session
2025-12-09 17:00 - 18:00 | Online
Dangerous far-right narratives are spreading faster than ever across social media. These are shaping opinions, sowing division and targeting workers and young people. Trade unionists know the challenge we face, and we know we need workers’ voices front and centre of the response.
In November, more than 500 union reps joined our webinar on making social videos to counter far-right narratives – showing the huge appetite across our movement to get involved and take action.
Launching the Workers Voice Network
To build on this momentum, we are launching the Workers Voice Network – a course that will train and support workers to safely create impactful digital content that challenges harmful and divisive narratives online.
The eight-week online programme combines expert-led skills development with ongoing support and mentoring throughout. Through a mix of one-hour workshops, creative tasks and mentoring, participants will learn how to create videos for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, how content spreads, and how to use trends, hooks and framing to communicate persuasively.
Sneak preview and influencer advice
We’re hosting a 60-minute taster webinar, giving you a sneak preview of the upcoming Workers Voice Network and featuring a content creator who’s successfully built real influence online by challenging harmful narratives. They’ll share their journey, tips, and honest insights on what works. You’ll get to ask them questions, as well as find out more from us about the Workers’ Voices Network.
In this taster session, you’ll:

Understand why worker led videos are so important in pushing back on far-right narratives
Get a broad overview of what makes particular videos so effective
Hear from a content creator who has built their profile and makes genuinely impactful videos
Have the chance to ask questions about the upcoming Workers Voice Network

We’re looking forward to seeing you in December!

Campaign update - Labour for a New Democracy
2025-12-17 18:00 - 19:00
Save the date for our next campaign update: Wednesday 17 December.

Institute for Government conference 2026 - online
2026-01-13 09:30 - 17:30 | Online
2026 is set to be a hugely significant year for Keir Starmer’s government and British politics. The government is under pressure to show it can deliver. Critical elections are taking place across England, Wales and Scotland. And the decisions taken in November’s budget will be being felt across the country.
So are No.10 and the Treasury set up to deliver economic growth? Is the government making any progress in its efforts to “rewire the state”? What could May’s elections mean for British politics? And what do the public think of the government’s performance?
To explore these questions and more, Government 2026 will be packed with fascinating panel discussions, keynote speeches, in-conversation events, new polling and more, all exploring what government is doing well – and what it could be doing better.

Tackling the Far and Populist Right - Bournemouth
2026-01-17 10:00 - 15:00
The resurgence of far-right and populist right narratives in the media and society has resulted in popular support for radical and extreme right parties and commentators growing to levels unseen since the 1930s.

The TUC’s strategy to tackle the far and populist right is rooted in our core principles of solidarity, equality, and justice and securing a future where equality and fairness triumph over fear and hate.
Unions are among the few institutions with the resources, campaigning know-how and organising reach to counter the rise of the far and populist right. But we can’t do this alone so we must join forces with community organisations and other social movements to set our alternative to the politics of hate and division.

TUC Education are therefore holding regional briefings across the country for union reps and activists to share knowledge and skills that you need to help counter divisive narratives that are rising in our workplaces and communities.

By building union strength and effectiveness where it matters most – in the workplace – we can demonstrate positive democracy and collective strength, and win for working people, not matter who you are, your background or where you come from.

LOCATION
Kinson Community Centre
Pelhams Park
Millhams Rd
Bournemouth
BH10 7LH

Trump's War on Venezuela - US Hands off Latin America! - online
2026-01-19 18:30 - 20:00
INTERNATIONAL FORUM with Tariq Ali // Jeremy Corbyn/Vijay Prashad // Carlos Ron (former Venezuelan Minister) // Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla.

Tariq Ali // Vijay Prashad // Carlos Ron (former Venezuelan Minister) // Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla (Progressive International // Jeremy Corbyn // Alex Main (CEPR, US) // Kate Hudson (CND) // María Perez Ramos (Mexico Solidarity Forum) // Steve Howell (author, Cold War Puerto Rico) // Matt Willgress (Arise) // Louise Regan (NEU) // Myriam Kane (Black Liberation Alliance) // Sarah Woolley (BFAWU) // Francisco Dominguez (VSC)
Join an international forum one year into Trump’s 2nd Presidency against US war, intervention, xenophobia & military bases in Latin America. More speakers, special guests, supporting organisations & media partners tba.
Called by the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign & streamed by Arise – a Festival of Left Ideas. Free event but solidarity donations here essential to hosting costs & campaign actions.

UKICE Lunch Hour: Changing party politics in the UK - online
2026-01-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
British politics has become both increasingly volatile and more fragmented. Parties are rising and falling with greater speed and there are more candidates for more parties than ever before.
The 2024 general election was the first ever five-plus party competition and magnified the influence of Britain’s first past the post electoral system. Labour won a huge majority on just over a third of the vote and huge numbers of votes were cast for parties that now have little representation.
But what are the consequences of the changes to the party landscape in the UK? How will the parties respond to the challenges that May’s local elections will pose? And in this new landscape, is the UK’s electoral system fit for purpose?
To discuss all this and more, UK in a Changing Europe and the APPG for Fair Elections have assembled a panel of both politicians with skin in the game and expert pollsters. Join us online as we discuss political fragmentation in the UK and what it means for our politics.
Speakers

Catherine Barnard (chair), UK in a Changing Europe
Lisa Smart MP, Liberal Democrat and Vice-Chair of the APPG for Fair Elections
Sean Woodcock MP, Labour
Rob Ford, University of Manchester

You can sign up via Eventbrite here.

ONSITE & ONLINE SYMPOSIUM: Wapping at 40: the Strike that Made the Modern Media
2026-01-24 10:00 - 17:00 | Marx Memorial Library, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London, EC1R 0DU, United Kingdom

Holocaust Memorial Day 2026
2026-01-27
Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) is when people across the world gather to remember the 6 million Jewish people who were murdered in the Holocaust. We also commemorate the millions more people murdered through the Nazi persecution, the communists, LGBT+ and disabled people as well as the millions more who were murdered in other genocides around the world.
Events in 2025
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust stresses, “At a time of heightened tensions and communal division in the UK, partly as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, bringing communities together in recognition of our common humanity is more important than ever and HMD activity organisers all across the UK play a vital role in making this happen.”
It is imperative for us all to remember historic and current genocides, and to understand the causes that lead up to such atrocities so that we can stop it from happening again. These actions have been the culmination of years of powerful regimes, political parties and groups, and individuals sowing seeds of hatred against those they pose as ‘other’. This is still happening today.
Get-Involved-guide-for-trade-unions_updated-2022.pdf

Talk: Mary McArthur and the National Federation of Working Women - online
2026-01-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Online
One of a series of free online talks on trade union and working class history, organised jointly by the GFTU Educational Trust, Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School and the Working Class Movement Library.
Sign up for the series here: https://gftuet.org.uk/courses/trade-union-and-working-class-history
Please note: You only need to sign up once to access all online sessions.
