Saturday 3rd May 2025
REPORT AND PHOTOS
Stroud Trade Council held its second annual march and rally to celebrate International Workers’ Day on Saturday May 3rd with speakers from local trade unions and representatives of community groups. The rally was followed by a parade of union and community banners around the town centre led by the Stroud Red Band playing a selection of socialist songs and tunes and was watched but hundreds of people who were given leaflets about trade unions by Trades Council members.
The speakers included local NEU member Julia Wilton who stressed the need to stop school cuts and to fully fund any teachers’ pay rise this year followed by Dagmara (Daggy) Jaworek and Dawnie Elliott, Phlebotomists and Unison members in a local hospital who have been involved in a long standing pay dispute and strike over low pay, in contrast to the Chief Executive who is paid £300 thousand a year but has not engaged with the strikers.
A bucket collection raised well over £324-52 for the strike fund with more promised by a participant.
This is a link to a Unison page about the phlebotomists dispute,
Other union speakers were Rachel Beaney the Regional Secretary of PCS union, Dave Chapple from Bridgwater and Mendip Trades Council and Trades Council Representative on the South West TUC Executive, Ben Fristonn from Unite and Ian Treherne from Communication Workers’ Union.
Local Historian Stuart Butler spoke about the forthcoming Stroud Chartist Festival which is supported by the Trades Council.
Local Labour MP Simon Opher, spoke about the need to support working people and, as a doctor himself, in favour of the Phlebotomists cause.
Local groups providing speakers included the Stroud Palestine Solidarity (Robin Layfield) Campaign, The Radical Youth Space for Educations and Stroud (Meg) and Community Solidarity Stroud District (Emma Calcutt).
Several organisations and local political party branches had stalls around the rally venue in Bank Gardens, Stroud.
The Trades Council will be reviewing the event in preparation for next year’s event which will be on Saturday 2 May 2026.
Click on this link to see “Why do Trade Unionists celebrate May Day“
OPENING THE PHOTOS IN A NEW TAB ON YOUR BROWSER WILL SHOW THEM IN A LARGER SIZE
