Sharon Graham rallies the Tolpuddle faithful

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham rallied the crowds at this year’s Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, getting huge cheers as she welcomed people to the event saying, “This is the first time in 14 years that Tolpuddle has met without the cloud of the Tories hanging over us.”

Sharon said, “Friends, as we gather here today in Dorset, almost 200 years on from the Tolpuddle Martyrs, we face the exact same sacrifices of those that came before. The realities of struggle, a reminder that any battle worth fighting is never fought for free. The martyrs did not just stand up against pay cuts. They fought for their dignity.

“They fought for their families. They fought for a future. They fought for the collective good under unrelenting pressure, so that basic human decency was not sacrificed at the altar of the rich and powerful. 

“And friends, it’s in that spirit, it’s in that fight that we hold on to now: the belief in workers in collective organisation, because friends, it wasn’t an individual or a potent politician that saved the martyrs.”

Sharon told the crowd how the Tolpuddle Martyrs fought for their rights, and how Unite continues that fight to this day, saying, “Friends, in my own union, there will be 2000 workers out on strike right now as we are here. Workers at Aramco, White and Mackay, Greenwich Council and in Northern Ireland.

“Friends, let’s send a clear message right here today, as loud as we can to every single striking worker in every picket line in Britain and beyond.”

Sharon also said the Martyrs knew “that forming a union is about more than just pay”, explaining, “It’s about the power to make real, lasting change. They martyrs understood the absolute power of the union. They knew there was no shortcut to renewal, the hard miles of organising in workplaces and our communities.”

Sharon had earlier led the annual march through the normally quiet Dorset village that saw one of the most important events in rural trade union history and sparked a movement that today fights for the rights of millions of workers. As well as fellow trade union leaders, Sharon marched alongside some of the family descendants of the Martyrs to the sounds of the Unite Brass Band.

Whilst at the festival Sharon also laid a wreath at the grave of James Hammett, the only one of the Tolpuddle Martyrs to remain in the village following their return from transportation in Australia. Joining Sharon paying their respects was Steve Leniec representing Unite’s agricultural workers.

She also popped into the newly expanded, Unite Marquee in the festival’s main arena and spoke to members, activists and organisers to find out how the weekend had been going.

Throughout the festival, the Unite Marquee had not only been a place for people to find out more about Unite campaigns, pick up resources and sign up new members, but it also hosted a series of speaker sessions from The Landworker and Unite South West. 

These incredibly popular sessions focused on issues including Rural Women in Rebellion, The Bristol Bus Boycott, problems facing migrant Workers and why Social Security is a Trade Union issue.

The session organisers had pulled out all the stops to bring in a fantastic array of experts, activists and reps to explain the issues. The Bristol Bus Boycott session was particularly moving as Unite South West equalities officer Lorriane Gibbs interviewed Bristol Bus Boycott pioneer Joyce Morris-Wisdom about her experiences of workplace racism in Bristol in the 1960s.

The session on rural women started with Landworker editor Amanda Campbell giving a stirring account of a little known episode in trade union history – the story of the Ascott Martyrs – before Unite national officer for agriculture Bev Clarkson, and Executive Council member Angela Duerden spoke. They highlighted many of the issues facing female workers in the countryside, both in the UK and abroad, and how Unite can provide support. 

The last session of the day heard from Unite member and Jersey deputy Beatriz Poree and award- winning journalist Emillano Mellino joining former Unite officer Chris Kaufman to discuss the appalling conditions faced by many migrant workers.

There was even time for some sparkle and entertainment as Unite Reps and migrant worker drag stars Dave and Istvan Imre performed a Roma gypsy dance, before lifelong trade unionist FMI Clatters closed Saturday with a set of rousing songs and shanties.

Unite regional secretary Steve Preddy said, “The Unite South West team had a fantastic time, and were kept very busy talking to members about their workplace issues, setting up sessions in the marquee and distributing resources and promotional materials to a constant queue outside our space.

“We also handed out a lot of membership forms. It was fortunate that we had managed to negotiate a larger space this year as the sessions were packed, with standing room only at times.

“It was really good to have Sharon at the festival this year as well, and drop in on the Unite Marquee to find out about all the hard work the team in the South West are doing to support members and organise workplaces.”

Elsewhere across the festival were a wide range of workshops and stalls along with music that offered something for everyone from the genre blending rap / metal sounds of Alt Blk Era on the Friday night to the passionate Wirral-based singer songwriter She Drew The Gun on Saturday.

On the main stage, the music was just as diverse as folk duo FFTP shared a stage with Welsh nu-rave act No Good Boyo along with the infectious ska of Dakka Skanks and the summery street vibe of Zimbabwe’s Gonora Sounds.

Also on stage was one of the festival’s long term volunteers Neil Duncan-Jordan. Unite member Neil was elected as the MP for Poole in July’s election and spoke about what the festival meant to him and how proud he is to now be able to speak from the stage.

Neil said, “I have had the privilege of working on the crew at the event for over a decade, on the car park, the toilets and hammering in posts across the site.

“It is the first time in history that Poole has a Labour MP, and I thank the trade unions who have supported the campaign.”

Back to Sharon’s barnstorming main stage speech, she finished by encouraging people to organise and stand together in solidarity.

“Friends, almost 200 years on from the martyrs, it’s time for our unions, all of us together, to embark on our essential mission to fight for workers, to make another world possible.

“Because another world is possible, we must level the playing field, mobilise and join together, use our brains as well as our brawn.

“The rebirth of a trade union movement is truly in hand, an industrial base fit for working class politics, a politics of struggle; a politics of hope. And as we think of the sacrifice that the martyrs made, we remember the old truth. 

“That victory is the struggle, the struggle is the victory. 

“For that is our conviction, that is a change worth fighting for. Friends, let’s make that change together. Let our heroes be the collective. Let the great furnace of collectivism roar. See you on the picket line. 

“Solidarity!”

A photo story of the 2024 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival can be seen here. 

By Keith Hatch

Photo by Mark Thomas