Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Tolpuddle martyrs are a reminder of the struggles of today
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THE trade union festival which takes place in the little Dorset village of Tolpuddle every year is always a time to remember and reflect on those farmworkers who took a brave stand nearly 200 years ago against further cuts to their pay.
They paid a heavy price for simply swearing an oath of secrecy and were arrested and sentenced to seven years’ transportation by vindictive landowners and biased courts.
They only won their freedom following massive protests which swept across the country as workers organised petitions and protest meetings.
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As the labour movement meets to remember the Tolpuddle Martyrs, MICK WHELAN, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, says it’s an appropriate moment to remind the Labour government to listen to the trade unions a little more