Events in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, in 1872 triggered a huge uprising in rural trade unionism led by Joseph Arch, champion of the rural labourer.
His efforts have been recognised many times. Not least when the obelisk in his memory at his grave in Barford was erected in 1922, and again in 1952 where the shelter was erected on the spot where he launched the union of agricultural labourers in 1872 in Wellesbourne.
Wednesday, 24th September, 2025, 7pm
Coventry Friends Meeting House, Hill Street, CV1 4AN
Gawain Little, General Secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, will speak about the huge threats posed by Reform UK.
Their attacks on migrants and asylum seekers, proclaiming they will seize and deport 600,000 innocent people, their opposition to trade unions and employment rights, their determination to replace the NHS with an insurance based scheme, their support for fossils fuels, their attitude to climate change and antagonism towards the gay and trans community are just a few of the dangers Reform UK present.
(all text from leaflet)
Between August 2022 and July 2024, GMB Union membership at Amazon's BHX4 Coventry warehouse skyrocketed with 37 days of strike action resulting in a 28.5% pay rise.
Yet despite this, the union narrowly lost a ballot that would have {forced Amazon to grant formal recognition.
Based on ethnographic research and reflective essays from worker-leaders and organisers, this book offers a rich case study of the factors contributing to the union's successes and setbacks.
Volume one - Art in the 19th Century.
Volume two - Art in the 20th century.
Book launch:
Saturday 28th June 2025, 5pm - 7pm
Hess - a Marxist art historian who helped rescue "degenerate" art from
Nazi persecution—played a vital role in shaping Leicester’s
world-renowned collection. Books will be available to purchase
(paperback/hardback options).
Venue:
Leicester Museum and Art Gallery
53 New Walk,
Leicester
LE1 7EA
As we enter June, the Communist Party sends solidarity to LGBT people
everywhere for Pride Month 🏳️🌈
We salute and remember those, including Communist Party and YCL members,
who have played their part in the struggle for LGBT equality and
liberation throughout the years.
“Keir Starmer’s government is sacrificing millions of working-class votes
for the Labour Party on the altar of big business profits, militarism and
war”, Communist Party General Secretary Robert Griffiths told our Party’s
Political Committee on Tuesday evening (27 May 2025).
“Scores of billions of pounds extra can be found for more nuclear weapons,
to assist Israel’s genocidal destruction of the Palestinian people and to
prolong the barbaric war in Ukraine”, he accused, “while Labour uses its
160-plus majority in the House of Commons to deny relative petty cash to
pensioners, poor families and people with disabilities”.
Together with some comrades, I joined the Stand Up To Racism demonstration
in Birmingham at the weekend.
The thugs and scum from the fascist rag bag Britain First held a
gathering. This collection of pond-life held a "national" rally. An
estimated 140 of them were able to find their way from under their stones
to Birmingham.
All holding two flags each and just about being able to put one foot in
front of the other they staggered to Victoria Square, where, to the
disgrace of Labour controlled Birmingham City Council they were allowed to
put up a giant screen and spit out their race hate and anti-working class
venom.
I estimate that there were around 200 anti-fascists from Birmingham and
area. marching and chanting:
I went to join the pickets at Birmingham Bin Strike today at the depot in
Tyseley.
Didn't see any trucks move this morning. The strike started in March when
Labour controlled Birmingham City Council announced they were going to cut
the pay of safety critical workers on the re-cycling trucks by £8,000 a
year.
They followed this up with announcing they were also going to cut refuse
vehicle drivers pay by £8,000 a year. Starmer and Rayner are now giving
Birmingham City Council money to employ agency workers to break the
strike.
Birmingham City Council are in a financial mess because the owe the
government £3bn. Ask yourself this - why doesn't Starmer and Rayner write
off Birmingham's debt then they would n't have to be giving the council
money to employ agedncy workers to break the strike? The answers simple -
Starmer wants to destroy the unions.
