THE Tolpuddle martyrs’ case certainly throws light on injustices some individuals experience because of the judicial system, and that fairness and fundamental human decency are often sacrificed to preserve the wealth and power of the elite which is still very relevant today. 

But now we have an opportunity to move forward with no worker or community being left behind. 

The trade union movement was born out of struggle and we will continue to have those struggles going forward, but hopefully we can make things better for our children and grandchildren and I have reason for hope and optimism but that hope and optimism must come to fruition for future generations and the trade union movement needs make sure that the Labour government delivers not just in the first 100 days but builds on its own pledges significantly over a period of time.

The Labour Party has a thumping majority and there can be no excuse for not repealing anti-trade union legislation. We all know that the Blair government did not repeal the Thatcher restrictions on workers and trade unions. 

The last Tory government also brought in its own restrictions and that needs to be remedied and there can be no backward steps on the New Deal for Workers. 

The POA are now in our 30th year of being denied the right to strike by successive governments and that wrong needs to be resolved and quickly with the repeal of Section 127 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994. 

It is a basic human fundamental right to withdraw your labour enshrined within international law. If a government does choose to restrict a particular workforce such as prison officers because they are deemed to be an essential service, then international law says there must be adequate compensatory mechanisms in place for resolving workplace disputes and pay. 

I can tell you the POA have neither, and we find ourselves under a permanent injunction and being guilty of contempt of court for simply defending our members’ rights at work. 

There is no justification in this pernicious piece of legislation. Incidentally, a Scottish government that has autonomy on its criminal justice system overturned it and restored the right to strike and — guess what? — the sky didn’t cave in. 

This punitive legislation since 1994 that restricts prison officers needs to be repealed and we look forward to this Labour government doing that along with other legislation that restricts other unions such as the Trade Union Act 2016 and the Minimum Service Levels Act.

The new government has a massive opportunity to create housing where lots of young people have simply been priced out of by private landlords and council housing being diminished over many decades. 

We need a return to building council houses, decent jobs that pay decent wages, decent infrastructure with schools and hospitals, dentists, and other accessible public services. Giving people money in their pockets through decent secure and well-paid jobs which in turn will stimulate the economy but also local communities. 

This is not rocket science. If people have disposable income then the economy will take off and Britian will once again be economically sound.

The trade union movement must play its part in that and ensure that unscrupulous bosses cannot undercut an agreed rate of pay which pitches worker against worker. It shouldn’t matter what colour or nationality the worker is. 

For example, when my late father went to Australia in the 1960s it did not matter if you were from Britain, Ireland, Australia, Malta, Greece or Africa as the rate of pay was negotiated by the unions and the bosses couldn’t deviate, so everyone felt valued because they were paid the same rate of pay for the same job skills. 

That is the way forward, with trade unions operating and recruiting in every workplace and holding bosses to account. The New Deal for Workers, if enacted as it was intended, will do just that and outlaw the zero-hours contracts and the exploitation of workers in the gig economy.

At the time of writing this article, Amazon has been allowed to get away with its union-busting. The legislation needs to be tightened up in respect of this. It is clear to me that Amazon did its union-busting by spreading lies and intimidating the workforce before and during the ballot, and I sincerely hope that the GMB and the rest of the trade union movement campaign for changes in recognition agreements and the ballot process and access to workplaces so that the lies of the bosses who do not want unions in their workplaces can be exposed. 

How often have we heard the expression “We do not need unions because we treat our workers extremely well.” If that is the case then those bosses and companies should not fear unions organising in those workplaces if they treat their workers so well.

This is an opportunity for gains to be made that make sure no-one is left behind. The Tolpuddle martyrs set us on the path — we mustn’t let them down as we have a duty to deliver fairness and a share of the wealth for future generations. I hope everyone has a great weekend at the Tolpuddle festival.

Steve Gillan is Prison Officers Association general secretary.