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Winning workers' rights will be the biggest tribute to the Tolpuddle Martyrs
The trade union movement faces a long, hard battle ahead — but we're ready and resilient, says TUC leader FRANCES O'GRADY

TOLPUDDLE will forever be a special place for the trade union movement.

This year, the story of the martyrs is as relevant as ever. Squire James Frampton was a landowner who feared that trade unionism threatened the power base of the wealthy classes and called on the full might of the law to quash it. His victimisation of the martyrs — for organising against pay cuts — has been repeated by greedy bosses throughout history.

Squire Frampton would have approved of the way ministers today are introducing new laws to make it harder for people to defend their living standards.

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