{"id":22726,"date":"2020-07-15T13:40:37","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T12:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=22726"},"modified":"2020-07-15T16:11:37","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T15:11:37","slug":"we-will-overcome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=22726","title":{"rendered":"‘We will overcome’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Tolpuddle Martyrs\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Festival 2020 starts Friday, July 17 and runs through till Sunday July 19. The festival is for many the highlight of the trade union year, and has special resonance for Unite members \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as the Tolpuddle Martyrs worked in a Unite-represented industry.<\/p>\n

The agenda and events list are jam packed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but this year \u00e2\u20ac\u201c because of the Covid-19 pandemic, festival goers won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be queuing to get onto union buses, or rushing for seats on the train to Dorchester West. This year they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be glued to Facebook and Youtube \u00e2\u20ac\u201c joining in debates, listening to some great bands, watching films \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s even entertainment for kids \u00e2\u20ac\u201c all in the comfort of their own homes.<\/p>\n

The online event<\/a> will be live streamed on Facebook and Youtube, with attendees able to join in the many festival activities.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe three-day festival, live streamed across Facebook and Youtube, will be filled with debates and historical lectures, radical films, plenty of music, a kid\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s activities area and voices from the trade union movement,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 explained Nigel Costley, South West TUC regional secretary and event organiser.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bCulminating in a virtual banner procession, the Festival will bring workers, friends and families together to celebrate the trade union movement, and commemorate the six agricultural workers who were punished and sent to the colonies simply for forming a union.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll still be covering the wreath-laying ceremony, and encouraging families and comrades to design and post pictures of their banners so they can join the virtual procession on Sunday afternoon,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

In fact Unite rural and agricultural veteran campaigner, Tony Gould, also a Tolpuddle resident, together with a few villagers and family descendants, will pay tribute to the Tolpuddle Martyrs and honour them at the grave site of James Hammett, in the small local wreath-laying ceremony.<\/p>\n

Tony will also be carrying the original Tolpuddle branch banner in the village procession. You can watch this live online on Sunday from 1.00 pm, on Facebook<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0and\u00c2\u00a0Youtube<\/a>. A poignant moment indeed and not to be missed.<\/p>\n

Sessions include the future of education and skills, building back better, black lives matter, and human rights. You can listen to a wide range of speakers including Angela Rayner, Shami Chakrabarti, Emily Thornberry, as well as many leading figures from the trade union movement.<\/p>\n

Not to be missed<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Not to be missed are of course Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s speakers. These include Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail, speaking on Saturday at 11.30 am on Valuing public sector workers after the <\/em>C<\/em>ovid crisis<\/em><\/a>. <\/strong>And at 2.30 pm Unite Tolpuddle branch secretary, farmworker and campaigner, John Burbidge is part of the primary discussion panel for Building solidarity and stopping exploitation of migrant workers in agriculture<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Bev Clarkson, Unite national officer for food, drink and agriculture will be joining the other key note speakers in the main speaking event of the festival, on Sunday at 12.30 pm. Bev will be discussing the real issues around rural poverty.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a true honour to speak at Tolpuddle,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Bev. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite can trace its roots back to the Tolpuddle Martyrs \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the cradle of the very trade union movement.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut many of the issues they protested against \u00e2\u20ac\u201c low pay, exploitation, unsafe working conditions we are still fighting today. More than one in five people in the UK live in rural as opposed to urban areas \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s over 13.5m people in total. And yet investment in such areas is abysmally low,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she told UNITElive.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite as the only union with any sort of density in rural communities has and will continue to push for the investment that is so desperately needed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that and reinstating the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) in England and ramping up regulation of the sector.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe food and agriculture sector has for too long been rife with exploitation of mainly migrant workers who live in appalling conditions and in practice work for wages far below the legal minimum wage. The only way we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll eradicate rural poverty as a whole is if we take seriously the struggles of those at the very bottom.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

There is also a radical film festival \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lots of great films for you to watch \u00e2\u20ac\u201c including\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>Unsung Hero: The Story of Jack Jones<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>on Saturday at 3.30 pm. Tolpuddle is a family festival and the Woodcraft Folk will be providing the usual children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s activities in the virtual kids\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 tent.<\/p>\n

Tolpuddle aficionados will know how important the comprehensive range of music is to the festival \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and this year will be no different. Diverse bands and performers include Billy Bragg, Eliza Carthy, The Scribes, Beans on Toast and of course, complete with badger costumes (well possibly!) Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s own Skimmity Hitchers, introduced by Unite south west regional secretary, Steve Preddy.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTolpuddle has always been more than simply music and politics,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Nigel Costley. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a gathering of like-minded people, a joyous celebration of trade union solidarity \u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re hoping to reflect online.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWith big thanks to our unions and sponsors, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve made sure all our performers are paid a proper wage. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never asked anyone to work for free \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and we won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t start now.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

It all looks like it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to be a great event. Last words go to Steve Preddy, Unite south west regional secretary, who told UNITElive, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bExactly one year ago we gathered in the beautiful\u00c2\u00a0setting of the Dorset countryside. It was Tolpuddle \u00e2\u20ac\u201c comrades\u00c2\u00a0re-acquainting, the weather kind and our senses responding\u00c2\u00a0to lively\u00c2\u00a0discussion,\u00c2\u00a0food and drink,\u00c2\u00a0laughter,\u00c2\u00a0song\u00c2\u00a0and the\u00c2\u00a0arts.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis years\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00c2\u00a0pilgrimage to our historic agricultural\u00c2\u00a0event has been interrupted\u00c2\u00a0by Covid-19.\u00c2\u00a0However,\u00c2\u00a0in the great traditions of our movement \u00e2\u20ac\u201c \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe will\u00c2\u00a0overcome.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bTolpuddle 2020 is online \u00e2\u20ac\u201c larger, more diverse,\u00c2\u00a0and as inspiring as ever. Please check out the itinerary and join in.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSouth West Unite welcomes you virtually in 2020. Stay safe, so we can give you a warm west country welcome back\u00c2\u00a0in 2021!\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

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JOIN THE FESTIVAL<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

To watch live, visit the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival Facebook group<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0 or the Tolpuddle Martyrs youtube channel\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

To join in the debates and lectures<\/a> and for more information click on the link.<\/p>\n