Couldn't have put it better myself George! Yes, there was an anarchist presence at the TUC organised annual rally in honour of the Tolpuddle Martyrs as promised last issue. What good fun it was too, with drinks consumed at the Workers Beer tent and local pub the Martyrs Arms along with a gorgeous sunny afternoon of musical entertainment from leftist inspired bands in a festival atmosphere. It all culminated in a procession of banners through the village to the Martyrs' Arch. This great fun day out was only slightly marred by a few dreary speeches from trade union and government bureaucrats, such as John Monks and Ian McCartney MP.

The Tolpuddle event took place this year on 18 July and takes place at around that time every year to commemorate the brave action, of forming a trade union in 1834, taken by the Tolpuddle 6 against state and class power. This is just one (perhaps the biggest) of numerous rallies and festivals organised by the trade union movement throughout the country every year. These are important yet underestimated events as they indicate the willingness of trade unionists to come out on the street in visible support of their organisation as well as maintaining continuity of organisation outside of industrial and community struggles. As such they deserve attention from anarchists in trade unions. These events are open and inclusive and get either intensive local trade union movement coverage or as in the case of the Tolpuddle rally nation-wide trade union press cover. For example UNISON both advertised it in advance and did a news story after the event in their activists paper UNISON FOCUS.

Unfortunately, there were not enough 'out' anarchists present to make much of an impact (although a few circle A T-shirts was a start). Hopefully next year we can get a few more of us together along with an ATU banner and show a visible alternative to corporate partnership (submitting to the bosses) or the SWP (submitting to the central committee). The alternative? - workers' control of their union and workplace.

1834 was a year which began with national trades union organisation with the expressed aim of taking control of industry and the whole of society out of the hands of capitalists and into the hands of the workers.

In February 1834 six farm labourers from Tolpuddle village, in the south west of England were sentenced to transportation to Australia for seven years. The law said it was because they had taken an illegal oath under the Mutiny Act of 1797. The real reason was that they dared to form a union in defence of their wages and conditions.

The employers took fright and after seeking advice from the Home Secretary, six of the labourers were arrested and imprisoned in Dorchester. Their sentence of transportation was passed two days later. A huge outcry followed and the campaign attracted thousands across Britain. More than 30,000 people assembled in London and over 800,000 signed petitions. The protests grew and in 1836 the men were granted a full pardon.