THESE are hard times to be upbeat. But in pulling together the programme for Organise 2020, the TUC’s three-day organising festival, I’ve been inspired by examples of trade union successes and struggles from around the globe. That sense of inspiration and optimism has never been more important, because these past few months have been incredibly hard for us all.

In Britain alone, tens of thousands of people have lost their lives to Covid-19. Hundreds of thousands more have suffered ill health. And millions have seen their jobs and livelihoods threatened.

The pandemic shone a light on the fragile state of our public services, battered after a decade of relentless cuts. It exposed how fragile and unfair our labour market is, with the lowest paid and least secure workers hit hardest — and yet depended on most too. And it highlighted other injustices, with racial injustice and inequality meaning the virus has taken a greater toll on Black and minority ethnic communities.