WORKERS rallied across Britain this weekend for May Day and International Workers’ Day in solidarity with all those in struggle for peace and justice, and in particular with their brothers and sisters in Palestine.

At Cardiff’s rally on Saturday — coinciding with World Press Freedom Day — the NUJ’s David Nicholson warned comrades that journalism was under attack at home and around the world, not least in Gaza and the West Bank.

“There were 1,000 journalists and media workers working in Gaza when Israel invaded in October 2023,” he said. “Almost 20 per cent have been killed by the Israeli military, with 171 dead and hundreds injured.

“This targeting of journalists is a war crime, and the NUJ and the International Federation of Journalists are building a case for the International Criminal Court.

“The Israeli government will not allow international journalists into Gaza — what have they got to hide,”  he said.

Glasgow’s May Day celebrations saw a contribution from Marxist historian John Foster. He told the rally of the first use of the word “socialist” in the city more than two centuries ago, its vital role in the development of trades councils, and with them the unique inclusion of the term in the founding constitution of the STUC.

Professor Foster said: “It all came from — and that word should be underlined — socialism. From working people together, controlling their destiny. That is what that movement stood for, that’s where it came from, and this is what we need today.”

A standing ovation was followed by a surprise presentation by STUC general secretary Roz Foyer on behalf of Glasgow TUC to recognise his lifetime of activism.

She told comrades: “It is impossible to do justice to the scale of John’s contribution for more than 50 years. Grassroots activist, leading intellectual and commentator, political educator, mentor, inspiration: he is all of those things and a real role model for so many people.”

Prof Foster responded: “Anything I know, anything I have done, comes from having worked with generations of socialists, communists, shop stewards across Scotland and beyond. We all need to learn from our forebears, we need to learn from the youth, we need to learn from all those in struggle today.”