GMB call for lessons of Tolpuddle to lead to outlawing employer hostility to union rights at work
Tolpuddle represents the ultimate in employer hostility to workers combining to force their employer to collectively bargain with them for a fair deal at work, says GMB Southern
- GMB have called for the lessons from the events at Tolpuddle in 1834 to lead to the outlawing of hostility towards union rights in the workplace.
Once again this year, GMB Southern Region is organising free camping at the Tolpuddle Festival in Dorset.
Details of this year’s festival are as follows:
Fri 20 Jul 2018 - 12:00 to Sun 22 Jul 2018 - 18:00
Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum
Dorchester Road
Dorset
DT2 7EH
United Kingdom
GB
Every July thousands of people come to Tolpuddle to celebrate trade unionism and to remember the sacrifice made by the six farm workers of the village who were found guilty of being union members and sentenced to deportation to Van Diemen's Land in Australia. It took a major campaign to overturn this verdict and sentence in 1836.
The festival is a popular mix of political discussion and speeches, music, and this year includes entertainment from the Townsend and Banner theatre companies. Events also include the traditional procession of banners, wreath laying and Methodist service.
Paul Maloney, GMB Regional Secretary said:
"Tolpuddle represents the ultimate in employer hostility to workers combining to force their employer to collectively bargain with them for a fair deal at work. It also represents workers eventually winning the legal rights to be union members and securing collective bargaining. These rights have been subsequently enshrined in international human rights law and conventions.
"However employer hostility to workers combining to force their employer to collectively bargain has not gone away. Indeed, it is widespread and in practice managers who trample on the human rights of workers to be union members and securing collective bargaining enjoy effective impunity.
"GMB continues to take on employers who refuse to allow their workers to be collectively represented by a union. Union organisation at Amazon for example is underground to counter employer hostility.
"GMB at Tolpuddle want to make it a criminal offence for managers to interfere with the human rights of workers to be union members and secure collective bargaining rights. The punishment should be big fines and imprisonment.
"Society can no longer tolerate employer hostility to workers combining to force their employer to collectively bargain with them for a fair deal at work. This is the lesson from Tolpuddle."
Contact: Michelle Gordon 07866 369 259 or GMB Southern Press Office 07970 114 762
