#Tolpuddle13 This year’s Tolpuddle Festival got off to a rousing start last night with a Campaign for Trade Union Freedom rally at Tolpuddle Village Hall. Speakers included Professor Keith Ewing who outlined the severe threat to trade union political involvement posed by the new Lobbying Bill. Today former UNISON General Secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe will be speaking in the Unizone and this morning Assistant General Secretary Roger McKenzie will discuss the legacy of Martin Luther King in a debate at the Martyrs' Marquee:
http://www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/index.php?page=programme
Last weekend Rodney Bickerstaffe, UNISON's first elected General Secretary, gave an inspirational and entertaining speech at the UNISON Eastern Region's 20 years Birthday Celebrations. Watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWCv5VhPZtA
A video of the IBMT commemoration held in London on 7 July including stirring anti-fascist words from former UNISON General Secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe and excellent music:
http://www.youtube.com/user/IBMTnews
Upwards of 10,000 public service workers were treated to a barnstorming performance by Rodney Bickerstaffe today outside the Scottish Parliament. #unisonscotn #N30. Reaching out to the young people on the rally, he was cheered as he urged them, “You wonderful young people, you have a legal right and a moral duty to stand up to bullies and diktat or they will walk all over you”. see full story at
http://unison-scotland.blogspot.com/2011/11/bick-you-have-legal-right-and-moral.html
"History is too often about Kings and Queens, Dukes and Duchesses. But here (Cable Street and the International Brigade) this, this is our history. Take pride in it. Racism and Fascism have many heads. Every day, like a farm or a marriage, you have to start afresh (in the fight). Learn our history. Cherish our history. Use our history" said former UNISON GS Rodney Bickerstaffe in a stirring contribution to the Cable Street 75 anniversary rally held yesterday in East London.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/110246
Rodney Bickerstaffe and the late Ken Gill were trade union contemporaries in battles against a former Conservative government, fighting for social justice and jobs and against attacks on employment rights and public services. Now chair of a non-charitable trust to celebrate and continue Ken’s legacy, the former UNISON general secretary reflects on the life of his long-time friend and says the struggles they fought together are in many ways no different than the struggles of today.
The Institute for Government recently ran a 'policy reunion' seminar on the National Minimum Wage. The contributors included Rodney Bickerstaffe...
Former UNISON GS Rodney Bickerstaffe's rounded off Radio 4's Today programme this morning with a tour de force response to the anti union baiting (notably from Cabinet Officer Minister Francis Maude) which had characterised coverage of today's over hyped TUC anti-cuts summit.
The minimum wage has been named as the most successful government policy of the past 30 years in a survey of British political experts:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11896971? Prior to its introduction in April 1999, former UNISON General Secretary Rodney Bickerstaffe was the foremost trade union campaigner against low pay and for minimum wage legislation.
Writing for UNISONActive Rodney responds to the survey and outlines his perspectives on the future of the minimum wage:-
