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 (Europe/London) | 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.

LGBT+ History Month
2026-02-01 - 2026-02-28
LGBT+ History Month is celebrated every year in February and is an important opportunity to mark LGBT history and activism, celebrate movements towards equality and show solidarity with LGBT people in the UK and around the world who still face violence, harassment and discrimination at work and their everyday lives because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
For a very long time LGBT+ people’s history has been hidden and the contributions LGBT + people and communities have made to UK society overlooked. LGBT+ History Month gives us another opportunity to put the record straight. It enables us to celebrate the achievements and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and non-binary (LGBT+) people and highlight the ongoing struggles and discrimination they face.
In the United Kingdom LGBT History month is celebrated in February.

HeartUnions week 2026
2026-02-09 - 2026-02-15
HeartUnions belongs to union members and union branches all over the UK. So use the week to raise the profile of your union branch and your workplace priorities in the way that works for your members and activists.

Tackling the Far and Populist Right - Plymouth
2026-02-12 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.

Copthorne Hotel Plymouth
Armada Way,
Plymouth
PL1 1AR
United Kingdoml

TUC Women's Conference 2026 - Bournemouth
2026-03-04 - 2026-03-06 | Bournemouth International Conference Centre
The TUC Women’s Conference will take place at the Bournemouth International Centre, 4-6 March 2026.

International Women's Day
2026-03-08
Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge gender equality. Get ready for #IWD2026.

TUC Young Workers' Conference 2026 - Brighton
2026-03-21 - 2026-03-22
The TUC Young Workers’ Conference will take place at the Double Tree by Hilton, Brighton, 22-22 March 2026.

Parliamentary Win on PR: What’s next? (Lib Dem Conference)
2026-03-22 18:15 - 20:00
Join the Electoral Reform Society and Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform the Liberal Democrat spring conference LDER-ERS fringe event.
Parliamentary Win on PR: what’s next?
The House of Commons has voted for proportional representation for the first time. How can Lib Dems continue the fight?
Chair: Sarah Olney MP – Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office
Josh Babarinde MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Justice
Hannah Camilleri, Communications Officer, Electoral Reform Society
Charlie Clinton, Liberal Democrat Councillor – Brent Council
Dave McCobb, Director of Field Campaigns, Liberal Democrats
This event is inside the secure area, you will need a conference pass to attend.

Labour for a New Democracy - Briefing: Bills, thrills & committees - online
2026-03-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Online
Join us for this briefing on the latest from the parliamentary campaign for Proportional Representation.

To attend email the host: hello@labourforanewdemocracy.org.uk

Following a 2nd reading debate in which Labour MPs led calls for a National Commission on Electoral Reform, the Representation of the People Bill has entered Committee stage. This is when 17 MPs examine the legislation line-by-line over a period of several weeks. This is the first, but not the last, opportunity for MPs to consider amendments.

At the same time, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (HCLGC) has launched an inquiry about modernising elections. The Select Committee, which is responsible for holding the Government to account about UK democracy (as well as a dizzying range of other issues), has begun by opening a Call for Evidence, about the state of Britain’s electoral democracy and what changes are required.

On Thursday 26 March, we’ll talk through what’s going on in Parliament, how the various committee processes work, what opportunities this creates, and what you can do to help push for electoral reform.

Together against the far right - march in London
2026-03-28
We reject narratives of division and racism

We are mobilising and organising across the country to bring a message of hope over fear, prior to holding a major demonstration in London on March 28th 2026.

The voices of unity can grow stronger.

We can show that strength lies in solidarity. That the change we need comes from us working together for hope not despair, for unity not racism.
Together we can reject narratives of division and racism.
Together we can build solidarity across communities.
Together we can unite against the far right.
We are standing together.

NEU annual conference 2026 - Brighton
2026-03-30 - 2026-04-03 | Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2GR, United Kingdom
Annual Conference is attended by up to 1600 delegates, most directly elected to represent their districts, sector or equality groups.

How to Replace ‘First Past the Post’: Electoral Reform in Action - London
2026-04-01 19:30 - 21:00
Join the Mile End Institute to debate the future of British democracy – and vote at the end on the voting system that YOU prefer!
In 1918, Parliament came within hours of abolishing First Past the Post. The system only survived because the two Houses disagreed on the system that should replace it. With the Bill on the brink of collapse, the question was postponed – a reprieve that has lasted for 107 years.
In a recent YouGov poll, only 23% of respondents backed First Past the Post. But what might replace it? Different countries use a dizzying array of different systems, which are designed to do different things. Some are ‘proportional’, others ‘preferential’. Some would expand the range of parties, while others might shrink them. Do we want our electoral system to give us strong governments or strong parliaments? Do we want more or fewer regional parties, independent candidates, extremist parties or coalitions?
In this event, co-hosted with Unlock Democracy and the Electoral Reform Society, our expert panel will present different electoral systems as used in France, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands. We will debate their strengths and weaknesses; what they can and can’t achieve; and how they work in practice.
Join us to debate the future of British democracy – and vote at the end on the system that YOU prefer!

NASUWT annual conference - Birmingham
2026-04-03 - 2026-04-05 | ICC Birmingham, 8 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 2EA
The NASUWT Annual Conference 2026 will take place at the ICC Birmingham between Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April 2026.
Conference is attended by more than 1,000 elected representatives from all the UK’s constituent administrations, as well as by visitors and guests from across the world.

Young Workers' Patrol - Exeter
2026-04-18 11:00 - 17:00
A fantastic opportunity has arisen from the TUC Young Organisers Network (YON) to explore Exeter city centre speaking to young workers in unrecognised workplaces around their rights, responsibilities, general job satisfaction, and auditing the workplaces on their legislative compliance and understanding of best support practices for young workers.

The event will be taking place in Exeter on Saturday 18th April 2026.
This is being run to build a UK model of the “LO Summer Patrol” which has successfully run for over 40 years in Norway. The aim is to build a map of unrecognised workplaces across UK cities to support unions within the TUC to maximise trade union membership, tackling current issues affecting the younger generation of workers, and broadening the TUC and affiliated unions understanding of the nature of work in unrecognised workplaces.

We are now looking for volunteers from anyone who is considered a young member within their union interested in supporting us to sign up using the link below or the QR code on the attached leaflet.

Full training and support will be provided in preparation for the event and on the day itself. There are plenty of roles available to get involved and make a difference for trade unionism throughout the UK. If you have any questions, please reach out to SFulton@tuc.org.uk or your regional officer.

We look forward to hearing from you!

In Solidarity,
TUC Young Organisers Network

STUC Congress - Dundee
2026-04-20 - 2026-04-23
