On 18 June 2022 at 11:00, thousands - and estimates range from 50,000 to 100.000 - of trade unionists, community activists, members of socialist and other progressive groups, and unaligned but angry, scared and frustrated individuals gathered in Portland Place, London, ahead of a mass march to 'Demand Better' for working people. The main themes of the speakers at the concluding rally were job security, pay rises in line with inflation and the cost of living crisis which is seeing workers take the hit for corporate greed and geopolitical events such as the war in Ukraine which are beyond their control.
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| John Partington (right) and the TSSA contingent |
Organised by the Trades Union Congress and supported by all trade unions, the assemblage was impressive in numbers, noisiness and determination. People of all ages, genders, ethnicity and from all parts of the country made the trip to the capital to be heard - marching passed Downing Street and on to Parliament Square where speeches were delivered and comrades fraternised with familiar friends and those they haven't encountered for weeks, months or even years.
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| Ali McNamara (NEU) From Reading Trades Union Council, Neil Adams (Unite), James Denny (RMT), John Gilman (Unite), Ali McNamara (NEU), Danny McNamara (Unite Community), John Partington (TSSA), Sue Taylor (PCS) and Tanya Wills (Unite Community) attended, joined by other local trade unionists from the the Green Party, the Labour Party and Reading Socialist Club. |
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| Danny McNamara (Unite Community, foreground) |
Unusually, the BBC covered the events on its news broadcast while, in solidarity, the leftwing press gave fulsome coverage.
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| Tanya Wills (Unite Community) |
The Morning Star quoted the RMT general secretary Mick Lynch, who said in his speech: “There is no compromise that has been given to us and the message is clear: we are now in a class struggle.” To the Labour Party leadership, he asked: “Are you going to be with us or are you going to sit on the sidelines while these Tories butcher the working class all over this country? Stand up and fight with us or get out of the way”.
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| Sue Taylor (PCS) |
Chris Nineham in Counterfire noted: "The TUC demonstration was headed up by blocs of thousands from Unison and Unite but there were tremendous contingents of civil servants, teachers, communication workers, firefighters and more". He also noted the universal support for the RMT as 40,000 of their members prepare for three days of strike action in the coming week.
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The Socialist Worker wrote: "For the first time since 2018, all the major trade unions in Britain brought hundreds - if not thousands - of their members to march in blocs. It was one of the biggest union demonstrations in the last decade and a real boost to activists everywhere. It showed the unions can still be a real force and can mobilise on the streets when they try" and the paper asserted: "Marching must be followed by strikes".
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| John Partington with Oxford trade union comrades |
RTUC was proud to support this mass demonstration by the working class of Britain and will be on the pickets with the RMT in their forthcoming strike action. RMT pickets will be established at Reading Railway Station on 21 and 23 June from 08:00 to 16:00 and at Network Rail's Reading Napier Road Maintenance Depot on 21 June from 17:30 to 22:30. There will also strike action on 25 June. Solidarity support will be welcome.
