Working class unity is more important than ever says trade unions chief at Mining Gala
“I know we have the power to make change”
Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Paul Nowak has today (July 11) said working-class unity is “more important than ever” as more than 200,000 people descended on Durham City for the 140th Miners Gala.
As well as welcoming the bands and banners of the region’s former collieries and pit villages, the ‘Big Meet’ also welcomed some of the country’s largest trade unions.
And TUC chief Paul feels that workers’ unions still have the power required to bring about change as more and more people struggle with the rising cost of living.
He said: “Durham Miners’ Gala is a huge celebration of working-class unity – which is more important than ever.
“Our country feels more polarised now than at any recent time in memory. People are very cynical about mainstream politics and whether it can change their lives, but an event like this brings hundreds of thousands of people together and shows the power of solidarity and working together.
“History shows that when working people pull together they can achieve real change.
“This year alone we have won the Employment Rights Act, an historic piece of legislation that will mean more job security. Sick pay for all, paid from the first day you fall ill. Stronger protections against unfair dismissal. A new right to bereavement leave and improvements to parental leave.
“None of this was handed down from on high. It was achieved through years of hard work, campaigning and lobbying by working people and their unions all around the country.
"That’s the spirit we need to harness to meet the challenges facing this country today.
“There are those determined to talk down Britain – and this great region and to try and divide us.
“But we must not get sucked into their zero-sum game. We must continue to fight for a better future together. Unity works.”
On the history of the Durham Miners Gala, Paul added: “This is clearly a very historic event which celebrates the mining communities and National Union of Mine Workers, but it’s not just about looking back it’s also about looking forward.
“Last year our union grew by 200,000 which shows unions are more relevant now than ever before. I know we have the power to make change. Rights to sick pay, the ban on zero hours contracts, none of that would have been won without trade unions.”