• Women Chainmakers Festival – Cradley Heath

    In 1910 the Women Chainmakers of Cradley Heath fought a successful 10-week dispute to establish the right to a minimum wage for their labour. Each year the Women Chainmakers Festival recognises and celebrates the role of women within the trade union movement and aims to reclaim the often forgotten contribution of women to Britain’s industrial heritage. The family friendly festival […]

  • Durham Miners Gala

    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 […]

  • Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival

    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 […]

  • Peterloo Massacre (1819)

    On 16 August 1819 60,000 people congregated in St Peter’s Field in Manchester, with demands for the right to vote, freedom from oppression and justice.  Despite its peaceful beginning, this was a day that would end with a bloody outcome. Why was it called Peterloo? From Waterloo to Manchester In 1789 the French Revolution shook the world and the ideas […]

  • International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

    The slave trade is a part of our history that must be condemned and never forgotten. On the night of 22 to 23 August 1791, in Saint Domingue, today the Republic of Haiti, saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. It is against this background that the […]

  • International Day of the Disappeared

    More than a human rights violation against an individual Enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within the society. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared, but also affects their communities and society as a whole. Enforced disappearance has become a global problem and […]

  • National Hazards Conference – Keele University

    Following on from the success of last year’s National Hazards Conference, the 37th annual conference will be another informative event that safety reps and activists should not miss. As in previous years it will educate, inform and connect safety reps from around the country along with empowering them to prevent risks to workers.