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.

Bring your placards, flags and banners and let’s raise them high! 
 
We end at Cathedral Green with the Silk Mill Museum in the original mill building with its infamous lock-out factory gates to hear the rest of our speakers – RMT assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey, bakers’ union general secretary Sarah Woolley, GMB general secretary Gary Smith, Fraser McGuire from Young Labour and Morning Star international editor Roger McKenzie.
 
The rally is followed by our family-friendly free festival with live bands, performance poetry, union and local community stalls, kids’ playbus and face painting, street food and a beer tent. 
 
This year we have official TUC Midlands Region status – and they are providing a photographer so make sure you’re there to be seen as part of the Fight For Our Future.
 
During the day the Silk Mill Museum will have a display of union memorabilia — badges, T-shirts, along with other industrial artefacts and other items to support our festival.

Entry to the museum is free. And at 5pm the Quad will be showing a short film produced by local players about the lockout and its impact on the workers and their families in their fight. There will be an introduction by one of the players and the producer will be there to answer questions after the showing.
 
It’s all funded by the trade union movement so families can have a great day while celebrating those workers whose actions contributed to the creation of the Grand Consolidated Trades Union — a coming together of different trades, skills, men, women and children to act in their own interests, united!
 
Onwards and upwards! Solidarity to all unions defending their members — and all working class people — as the Silk Mill workers did 190 years ago.
 
Moz Greenshields on behalf of Derby Area Trade Union Council and Silk Mill Festival organising group.