|
Summer 2005 -
Tuesday 12
th
– 17
th
July
Introduction I first read about the Tolpuddle academy on the GMB website and saw it as an opportunity to learn more about trade unionism with other young people who shared my interest. I have to confess that I was unaware of the story of the Martyrs, upon reading about the academy I investigated further, and was captivated by a tale of principled bravery, hardship and eventually social change. The story filled me with enthusiasm for the academy and a sense of lineage between the modern trade union movement and those who had made such great sacrifices before us. Tuesday 12 th I arrived in Tolpuddle in the late afternoon. Having set our tents up we proceeded down to the local pub for a meal and a chance to get to know one another. We had a chance to introduce ourselves and I was immediately amazed by the range of professions represented; social workers, agricultural, care, administration, retail and by the female majority. I had, showing a prejudice I was happy to have challenged, assumed that the camp would be male dominated. Wednesday 13 th We met at the Tolpuddle hall for an introductory session. We got to know where everyone worked and the particular issues that were relevant to them. We discussed why we’d decided to come to Tolpuddle and I was struck by the variety of attitudes expressed as to what the trade union meant to each individual. Clearly the different challenges and pressures faced had made the union relevant in different ways. 
We focused on ‘Youth & Unions’. I as a politics student was particularly interested in peoples’ attitudes toward the changing political role of Unions. We discussed how best to engage young members, the overriding message appearing to be that a variety of means would be necessary as we each seemed to respond to different elements of Union functions. After Lunch we headed to the Dorchester Old Crown Court, where the Tolpuddle Martyrs were tried. Before leaving Nigel sat us down beneath the Martyrs tree, where they had met, and filled out some of the detail regarding the Martyrs story. Setting in context the pressures the agricultural workers were coming under and the political mood across England at the time. It reinforced how unfair the treatment they’d received had been. It also illustrated how people never give up power gladly; the Martyrs had to struggle for their cause, making me consider the lot of those currently facing this kind of repression. 
Having considered the inequity of the Martyr’s treatment we moved on to the court, where one could consider the brutality. The tour of the court started with a talk in which further personal details of the Martyrs were discussed. Clearly brave individuals, battling on through illness and inhumane conditions – the cells were frightening – dark, damp and dirty. They not only proved strong enough to survive this ordeal, but the hard labour on Australia and the return journey home. These were the sorts of sacrifices that had been made to further the Trade Union movement, I felt very conscious that we stood on the shoulders of men like these. 
Thursday 14 th The group split in two this morning with one group attending ‘Newsquest’ Printers, I was in the other group, attending the ABRO plant where the British tank fleet is maintained. I had very mixed emotions about viewing a sight where tools of mass murder were serviced, a firm dependant upon our militarised state. I was intrigued to see how the heavily unionised staff dealt with the issues surrounding this. The best answer I was given was that the tanks will go into battle anyway and someone will die, do you want it to be because you did a bad job servicing your tank? (If the tank commander then shoots someone that’s his responsibility). I was impressed with the engineering on show and the positive attitude of our guide towards ABRO’s partnership agreement. He was quick to point out that there had been no redundancies since the 60’s and that health and safety was now managed by the union, effectively. I was interested to hear that as I’d viewed partnership agreements as getting into bed with management, assuming they were a necessity not desirable. Further conversations I had over my remaining time in Tolpuddle indicated that I was somewhat whitewashed by our guide. With the British tank fleet ever decreasing their work is drying up, the staff seem acutely aware that their jobs will be under pressure. Thus their claims at flawless relations with management (refusing to tell me about any disputes). Much of the talk of unity and solidarity from the past few days rang in my ears as I was lied to, out of necessity, by a man whose primary concern was survival. The reality of individuals in the workplace refuted much of the idealistic language we’d used. 
In the afternoon we undertook training in the delivery of the “A Better Way to Work” TUC seminar for schoolchildren. This was a basic course designed to equip us with the skills to go into schools and convey the positives about the trade union movement. In the Evening the Villagers of Tolpuddle were invited to attend a barbeque put on by the TUC. I thought this was an excellent idea as Tolpuddle is so quiet a place that one’s presence feels intrusive, having an opportunity to directly engage with the community and show our gratitude stopped me feeling like an imposition. Friday 15th Two guys from ‘No Sweat’ (the anti-sweatshop campaign) delivered a session regarding their work, and effective means of engaging the public. The session was energetic and active. The group considered a variety of ways we might generate public interest and some of the challenges we might face in the process. I found that beyond all other sessions this provided an internationalist aspect. 
|