The recent heatwaves revealed how ill-prepared Britain remains for a hotter future – and how unequal the ability to cope with it has become, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
WITH just days to go before the Midlands Silk Mill march, rally and free festival, there’s not a better time to remember and commemorate our trade union history and recommit to the struggle for respect and dignity for the working class.
Join with us to celebrate the historic struggle of the Silk Mill workers in Derby in 1833-34 — and to fight for the future.
Locked out by their employer for refusing to accept a pay cut and refusing to renounce their trade union membership — isn’t this reminiscent of the struggle we are facing today across all our services and industries?
We begin the day with a lively march through town, setting off from the Market Place at 10.30am prompted by some of our guest speakers — Louise Regan, Midlands TUC president and National Education Union, PCS executive member Ian Lawther and Unite regional secretary Paresh Patel. We’ll be led by a local drumming band.
One hundred years after 1.7m workers shut the country down in defence of the miners, the struggles that sparked the 1926 General Strike are still with us – and will be honoured on London’s May Day march this year, writes MARY ADOSSIDES
Following comments made by Robert Jenrick about the people of Handsworth, the TUC, together with 12 trade unions representing members who live and work in the area, have issued a joint letter calling for the Conservative Party to take immediate action
CLIVE HASWELL introduces the latest edition of Cardiff’s left-wing conference, which will take a broad and non-sectarian approach to who the left should vote for, welcoming approaches from all major progressive parties that hope to transform the world
From hunting rare pamphlets at book sales to online panels and courses on trade unionism and class politics, the MML continues connecting archive treasures with the movements fighting for a better world, writes director MEIRIAN JUMP


