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RTUC assemble, including John Partington (left, TSSA), Dave
McMullen (2nd left, GMB) and Keith Jerrome (right, Unite) |
On 22 July 2018, the labour movement assembled in a Dorset village to complete the weekend celebration of trade unionism with the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival march and rally. This year - as ever - saw a Reading Trades Union Council presence, though made especially joyous by the debut of RTUC's new banner.
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| Reading Trades Union Council on the march |
Leading the procession through Tolpuddle was the Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn MP, who laid the ceremonial wreath on James Hammett's grave - the only one of the six martyrs who remained in Dorset. Later in the afternoon, Jeremy closed the speeches by enthusing the assembly with socialist policies and appealing to all supporters of Labour to be ever on an election footing.
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| Jeremy Corbyn MP leads the procession through Tolpuddle |
Reading Trades Union Council was well represented, with Nikki Dancey and Dave McMullen (both GMB), Keith Jerrome (Unite), Steve Geary (USDAW) and John Partington (TSSA) in attendance.
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| Steve Geary (right, USDAW) of RTUC |
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| John Partington (TSSA) with the reverse of the RTUC banner |
The weekend was rounded off with a concert by Billy Bragg, a regular entertainer at the Festival. The whole weekend proved a shot in the arm for the activists - and a great occasion for old friends of the left to reunite from across the country.
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| Billy Bragg closes the festival with a suite of labour songs |
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