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‘Protect the right to strike’ march marks 40th anniversary of GCHQ union ban
A reception area within Government Communications Headquarters, commonly known as GCHQ, based in Cheltenham, October 20, 2019

TRADE unionists will hold a “protect the right to strike” march and rally through Cheltenham tomorrow on the 40th anniversary of the union ban at GCHQ.

Margaret Thatcher’s Tory government banned trade union membership of staff at the government’s intelligence and security headquarters on January 25 1984.

She claimed that trade union membership was not compatible with being patriotic and guarding the country’s intelligence secrets.

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