International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
2024-05-17 - 2024-05-18
Unite is proud to recognise International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on 17 May. Known as IDAHOBIT for short, this date was chosen as it commemorates the date of the decision to remove homosexuality from classification as a mental illness by the World Health Organisation in 1990. The main purpose of IDAHOBIT is to raise awareness of ongoing discrimination, violence and persecution of LGBT+ people across the world.
Research by Stonewall, the national LGBT charity found that one in five LGBT people have experienced a hate crime because of their sexual orientation in the past year and over half of trans people have been subjected to a hate crime due to their gender identity.
Around a quarter of LGBT people avoid some streets due to safety concerns and 13 per cent have been discriminated against in a bar, restaurant or club venue. Trans people in particular still experience appalling levels of abuse on social media and are on the receiving end of misinformation and direct attacks from TV and print media.
That’s why Unite Equalities continues to work hard to campaign for more inclusive workplaces and safer communities for LGBT+ people across the country. We’re particularly keen for more LGBT+ Unite members to get involved, contact your regional equalities officer for further information.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Crediton
2024-05-17 20:30 - 22:30 (Europe/London)
‘Behold Ye Ramblers’ is the story of the beginnings of the struggle for the right to roam freely across open moors on ancient paths and enjoy the benefits of outdoor activities and pursuits. It’s a history based in the Clarion movement that in the 1890s onwards encouraged and celebrated healthy community activity such as cycling, music and choral singing, drama groups, handicrafts, whilst collectively building Clarion Houses as rural community centres to enable people to escape the daily grind of work and cramped city living. There are active Clarion Cycling Clubs and Choirs to this day!
This is a highly entertaining celebration through Music Hall, poetry and song of the birth of The Clarion newspaper and the movement that grew in its name; of its founder Robert Blatchford and his self-styled journalism influenced by William Morris and Edward Carpenter; of his ability to convert hundreds of thousands to his collective vision, including some of the richest in society, such as the Countess of Warwick; and of the heroic working class disciples such as GHB Ward and his fellow activists from the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers that campaigned and trespassed for public access across Derbyshire’s moorlands.
Find out how this happened, who fought for our Right to Roam and be entertained at the same time.
A show for all to see and to be determined to be able to walk alone and with others!

Stall at Levellers Day, Burford, Oxfordshire
2024-05-18 11:30 - 17:00
Just turn up and find us at the table with MVM stuff! No booking needed.
See https://www.facebook.com/levellersday/ for more details.
This year’s theme is DEMOCRACY. There will be speakers, a march through the town with banners, wreath laying for the 3 felled Levellers in 1649 and stalls, food etc through the day.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Poole
2024-05-18 21:00 - 22:30

Vulture Capitalism - Grace Blakeley & Jeremy Corbyn In Conversation
2024-05-20 19:30 - 21:00
Grace & Jeremy will talk about her new book & why “Everything you know about capitalism is wrong.”
Grace Blakeley & Jeremy Corbyn will talk about her new book Vulture Capitalism – the book you need to understand what is happening in the world around you – and what you can do to change it. (Order the book & info here.) Join us for this very special event!
In Vulture Capitalism, acclaimed journalist Grace Blakeley takes on the world’s most powerful corporations by showing how the causes of our modern crisis are the intended result of our capitalist system. It’s not broken, it’s working exactly as planned.
As Ha-Joon Chang says, ‘Read this book if you want to make fundamental changes to the world.’
Hosted by Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas. Free event but donations essential to streaming & hosting costs.

Wales TUC Congress
2024-05-21 - 2024-05-24
Join us in Llandudno as we celebrate 50 years of the Wales TUC.
Wales TUC Congress takes place at Venue Cymru, Llandudno on 21 – 23 May 2024.
The Voice of Wales at Work
The Wales TUC exists to improve the economic and social conditions of workers in Wales, regardless of if they are currently in a job or not.
Its mandate and purpose builds on the role of its individual affiliated trade unions. Workers join trade unions to represent their interests, and these unions affiliated to the Wales TUC to establish a shared agenda, agreed democratically at a Congress held every two
years and managed by the General Council which meets four times a year.
Around 400,000 people are trade union members in Wales. The vast majority of these people are members of trade unions which are affiliated to the Wales TUC
Our Congress will bring together industry leaders, experts, and enthusiasts to share knowledge, network, and celebrate the accomplishments of our organisation. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are committed to creating an unforgettable experience for delegates, and attendees.
To attend please contact wtuc@tuc.org.uk

AI & Democracy Webinar Series - Full Fact: Trust And Truth In The Age Of AI
2024-05-21 13:00 - 14:00
We all deserve information we can trust.
​The UK Democracy Network in collaboration with ANTIPARTY are pleased to present the next in our series of AI & Democracy Webinars – with Chris Morris, CEO of Full Fact.
​Full Fact is a team of independent fact checkers and campaigners who find, expose and counter the harm caused by bad information.
​Full Fact fights for the right information to reach the people who need it most, whether that’s individuals making decisions about their health or who to vote for; or politicians debating the future of our country.
​Full Fact are now developing world-leading technology and new research to spot repeated claims, and find out how bad information can be tackled at a global scale.
​We look forward to discussing these issues and more at our webinar on the 25th of April. Hope to see you there!
​Chris joined Full Fact in October 2023; prior to this he was the BBC’s first dedicated fact checker on air and online, pioneering fact checking on mainstream outlets through his development and leadership of BBC Reality Check. His work covered two general elections, post-Brexit politics, the US Presidential election, the pandemic, and the climate crisis.
​Before launching Reality Check, Chris spent more than two decades as a senior correspondent, winning awards and interacting with government and business leaders around the world on a daily basis.
​Find out more about the work of Full Fact.
​​Democracy Network are a network of people and organisations working on issues of power, democracy and voice throughout the UK. We aim to connect and work with others to build a stronger democracy fit for the 21st century. We do this through connecting people and supporting collaboration, increasing knowledge, skills and resources, and coordinating influencing strategies and action. Join the network here
​​If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us an email at hello@democracynetwork.org.uk.

The anti-corruption capital of the world?
2024-05-21 13:30 - 19:30
This spring, IPPR will host a major conference on combating transnational kleptocracy
The UK has made considerable progress on tackling economic crime and illicit finance since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. This conference will ask how to build on those developments to ramp up the fight against kleptocracy, including ideas to better detect, investigate and prosecute money laundering. The UK’s nodal position in transnational kleptocracy means it is in a position to strike the biggest blow to this corrosive trade.
We’ll discuss what a commensurate and coordinated strategy against kleptocracy would entail, and explore several themes, including:

Corporate and capital flow transparency
British Overseas Territories and offshore finance
Reputation laundering and political influence
Regulation in key industries (private investment, real estate, arts trade)
Co-ordinating with democratic allies

Speakers:

Rt Hon David Lammy MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP
Oliver Bullough, journalist and author
Duncan Hames, Director of Policy and Programmes, Transparency International UK
Carys Roberts, Executive Director, IPPR
Parth Patel, Senior Research Fellow, IPPR
Other speakers to be announced

Full programme to be announced. The event will conclude with a networking reception between 17:30-18:30.
Places are limited and registration is required to attend. Please register using the link on the right-hand side of the page.
For more information, please contact Olivia Vaughan.

Our Generation. Our Vote. Introduction and Q&A Webinar
2024-05-22 17:00 - 18:00
Join our webinar to hear more about Our Generation. Our Vote.
Our Generation. Our Vote. is a free political education project and mass-scale election for young people under 18 in England and Wales, running in the lead up to the next UK general election.
Organisations from the coalition will present the project, followed by an open Q&A.
This meeting is open to anyone who has an interest in the project, in particular teachers and youth workers or leaders who would like the young people they work with to participate. Whether your questions are about how to register, what the educational resources will include, or how the votes will be counted, this is the place to have them answered.
Please note that whilst the project will be available in English and Welsh, this presentation and Q&A will be in English only.
We look forward to seeing you.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Whitehaven
2024-05-22 20:30 - 22:30

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Irvine
2024-05-23 20:30 - 22:30

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Edinburgh
2024-05-24 20:30 - 22:30

CONFERENCE: A Labour Movement Agenda for a Labour Government with John McDonnell MP
2024-05-25 11:00 - 18:00
Speakers to include John McDonnell MP // Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary // Rebecca Long Bailey MP // Fran Heathcote, PCS General Secretary // Asad Rehman, War on Want // Ellen Clifford, Disabled People Against Cuts // Danny Dorling, Professor of Human Geography // Lord Prem Sikka // Mary Robertson, Lecturer at QMUL // Andrew Fisher, IPaper Columnist //Jess Barnard, Labour NEC // Johh Hendy KC, IER // Jacqui McKenzie, Human Rights Lawyer // Ann Pettifor, author, The Case for the Green New Deal.
Put the date in your diary and reserve a place today.
Hosted by Claim the Future. Supported by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung London Office.

MVM Bedford & Milton Keynes Street Stall
2024-05-25 12:00 - 13:30
Each month, a group of us set up a colourfully decorated stall in a shopping district (alternating between an MK or Bedford location) and give out leaflets, ask for petition signatures and have friendly chats with members of the public about their views. It’s usually a very lively atmosphere (we have a quiz!) and, it being a non-party political event, the reception is almost always extremely positive! Please feel free to join us or tell a friend.

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Crathes
2024-05-25 20:30 - 22:30

Behold Ye Ramblers - Townsend Theatre Productions - Moray
2024-05-26 20:30 - 22:30

UCU Congress 2024 (Bournemouth)
2024-05-29 - 2024-06-01
Congress will be held on Wednesday 29 – Friday 31 May 2024 at Bournemouth International Centre
Motions deadline: 12 noon, Friday 15 March 2024
Congress motions, as set out in the first report of the Congress Business Committee, will be available in the week beginning 27 March.
Deadline for the submission of amendments 12 noon, Friday 3 May 2024

Safety Reps Connect 2024
2024-05-30 - 2024-05-31
Safety Reps Connect will be the national event for safety reps in 2024!
The day will bring together health and safety reps for a day of engaging workshops, insightful panel discussions, and interactive networking sessions. Learn from experts and gain valuable knowledge to enhance your role as a safety rep.
This year, 2024, marks 50 years of the Health and Safety at Work Act. It is the key legislation governing occupational safety and health in Britain, defining duties on employers and establishing the Health and Safety Executive. At this event, we will reflect on the progress of the last 50 years, while looking forward to the action needed to protect ourselves and our workmates in the years to come.
Whether you’re a seasoned safety rep or just starting your journey, Safety Reps Connect 2024 is the perfect platform to expand your network, exchange ideas, and stay updated on the latest issues in the union movement.
Don’t miss out on this incredible event. Join us at Safety Reps Connect 2024 to connect and take your skills to the next level!
Reps attending Safety Reps Connect 2024 are entitled to reasonable paid time off from work. Talk to your employer about paid release. If you have any difficulties obtaining release, please speak to your union officer.
View who will be speaking at Safety Reps Connect 2024.

REDS ON THE GREEN:A Walk through Radical Clerkenwell
2024-05-30 19:30 - 21:00
Join us for a series of free events joint with Islington Council and discover the radical history of Clerkenwell Green. Through monthly sessions explore local stories, ground-breaking ideas and people who made history.
Join David Rosenberg at Marx Memorial Library for this second session – a walk through radical Clerkenwell (please email islington.museum@islington.gov.uk to book your free ticket)
• Light refreshments and a display on local radical history
• An exploration of people and places with a stroll through the streets of Clerkenwell

Class War in Britain - the Miners' Strike 40 Years on - online
2024-06-01 14:00 - 17:00 | Online
With:
John Hendy KC, who represented the NUM in the 1980s // Mike Jackson, Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners co-founder // Ian Lavery MP, striking miner in 84/5 & former NUM President // Chris Peace, Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign // Jon Trickett MP, Councillor elected during the strike & campaigner for coalfield communities // //
Plus: Carolyn Jones, Morning Star // Mish Rahman, LP NEC // // Sarah Woolley, BFAWU General Secretary & GFTU // Sabby Dhalu, Stand Up to Racism // & more TBA!
An afternoon of online political education, discussion and debate on one of the most important struggles in our history – including what really happened; the role of the state and media; and lessons for solidarity and socialism today.
Hosted by Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas. Media partner – Labour Outlook. Free event, but solidarity donations essential to hosting and streaming costs.

Prospect National Conference (Birmingham)
2024-06-08 - 2024-06-12
Prospect National Conference decides on the priorities of the union by garnering the views of branches.
The next National Conference will be held from Saturday 8 June – Tuesday 11 June 2024 at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.

Silk Mill Festival
2024-06-08 11:00 - 17:00
All unions and their members are warmly invited and welcome to join us for the march and following Festival with music, community and TU stalls, speeches and commemorative chaplet laying to the historic Silk Mill workers who were locked out by their employers in 1833/4 for failing to accept a pay cut and renounce their rights to be a Trade Union member-sound familiar?
If you’d like to book a Union/Branch or campaigning stall contact mozgreenshields@gmail.com
The march starts in Debry Market Square and will parade through the streets to the Festival site at Cathedral Green.

Our Work Matters: Outsourced Workers Connect
2024-06-12 10:30 - 18:00
Free training and networking event for outsourced workers.
Outsourced workers are the forgotten heroes who keep the country going.
At Our Work Matters: Outsourced Workers Connect, workplace union reps and members who are outsourced and work in facilities management roles* in the public sector will come together to discuss the issues facing their colleagues and workplaces, and how to run successful campaigns to resolve them.
This training event will give practical advice and support on key everyday workplace issues such as winning better pay for outsourced workers; your health and safety rights at work; what to do if your job is TUPE’d (transferred) to a different employer; and how to build a workplace union for outsourced workers.
You’ll hear directly from other outsourced workers and union reps who won have campaigns in their workplaces for higher pay, more holiday days, better sick pay and insourcing.
It’ll also be an excellent opportunity for you to network and make new connections with people working in similar roles and workplaces to you. The packed programme of interactive workshops will feature inspirational union reps as speakers and will give key practical advice.
During this event, we will also visit parliament and speak to several MPs, so that they can understand the challenges facing outsourced workers.
Sign up and join other union reps and members to learn, share, connect and make a difference in your workplace.
* Facilities management roles include outsourced caterers, cleaners, security guards, porters and building services.
Speak to your union about getting time off work to attend this training. A small number of bursaries will be available for travel expenses. If you are interested in applying, please email ourworkmatters@tuc.org.uk for more details.

TUC Women Chainmakers' Festival
2024-06-29 12:00 - 17:00
Taking place annually, the Women Chainmakers’ Festival 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.
Featuring national entertainers and speakers, including a ‘Mary Macarthur’ 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.
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.

2024 Unions 21 Community Summit - London
2024-07-02 - 2024-07-03
Across the globe, 2024 is a time of change.
With the backdrop of declining membership and lower bargaining density, unions are grappling with the introduction of AI, continuing development of digital technologies as well as the challenges of political transition and engagement.
Now, as ever, unions and union centres are looking at how we develop ourselves as organisations to address these external challenges and build for tomorrow as well as for today.
The Unions 21 Community Summit is the place to go for unions and their staff who are looking for new ideas, inspiration and practical takeaways to tackle the challenges of today.
Outline of the day
Open plenary: The challenges of transforming our unions. Why should we?
You can’t put the genie back in the box: AI and Unions: Practical case studies showcasing union use right now and what we could be doing
The challenge of change – how do we bring change to our unions?
Responding to technological change – Can we be digital first? Exploring leadership, UX and communications
Political change: How do unions respond to political change?
Networking opportunities

LOCATION
St Giles Hotel, WC1B 3GH

Andy Burnham on democratic reform
2024-07-16 19:15 - 20:00 | Online
Join the Mayor of Greater Manchester in an online conversation with the #Labour4PR campaign.
Two years ago, Andy Burnham spoke to the #Labour4PR campaign about his support for Proportional Representation and radical democratic reform. Since then Constituency Labour Parties, affiliated trade unions, and the Labour Party Conference have all overwhelmingly backed electoral reform – and Labour’s official policy has recognised that the flaws in First Past the Post are driving distrust and alienation in politics.
As we approach the coming general election, we welcome Andy back to discuss the incredible progress the campaign has made, why we need reform more than ever, and what opportunities the general election will bring in creating a political system fit for the 21st century. Reserve your ticket today!
Book your place

Young Organisers Network: Strategic Planning Residential
2024-07-30 - 2024-08-02
Strategic Planning Residential
– Bringing it back to our unions
– Deepening engagement
– Building an action plan (at work and in the wider movement)
– Patrols and campaigning

Weekly York/North Yorkshire Coffee Morning
2024-07-31 12:00 - 13:00
A weekly event – sign up online.

Grace Blakeley on theories of imperialism & the crisis today - online
2024-08-04 16:00 - 17:30
Grace Blakeley, acclaimed author of ‘Vulture Capitalism,’ will join Matt Willgress of Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas to discuss “How can theories of imperialism & state-monopoly capitalism help us understand the crisis today?”
In today’s world – riven by crisis, inequality & war – is it worth returning to the classic theories of Lenin, Bukharin, Luxemburg, Hilferding & others about imperialism to help us undertand, & transform, society?

Bristol street stall
2024-08-10 13:00 - 15:00
Come along to the monthly MVMBristol street stall.
Location – different each month!
To get involved / for more details please get in touch via:
bristolmakevotesmatter@gmail.com
