Freedom Fought For: The Battles Trade Unions Have Won...

...And Still Fight Today.

From the Tolpuddle Martyrs to Digital ID — the Workers of England Union (WEU) continues to defend the freedoms that generations of workers fought to secure.

These rights were not gifts from government — they were earned through courage, unity, and struggle.

Trade Unions have stood at the centre of historic fights for justice, safety, and dignity. The WEU stands firmly in that tradition, resisting new threats such as Digital ID systems that risk eroding the very freedoms our movement was built to defend.

Below is an outline of the key struggles and achievements — proof that the fight for workers’ freedom is far from over.

1. The Right to Organise

Early repression: The “Combination Acts” (1799–1800) made it illegal for workers to join together for better pay or conditions — Trade Union members could even be jailed.

Tolpuddle Martyrs (1834): Six farm labourers from Dorset were transported to Australia for forming a Trade Union. Their eventual pardon became one of the earliest victories for worker solidarity.

Legalisation: By the late 19th century, Trade Unions were recognised by law — finally allowing them to organise, bargain, and strike without automatic criminalisation.

2. The Fight for Better Pay and Conditions

Industrial struggles: Miners, dockers, and railway workers led battles throughout the 19th and 20th centuries to end poverty wages and unsafe working conditions.

Eight-hour day: Union pressure established shorter working hours, replacing gruelling 16-hour shifts.

Minimum Wage: Decades of campaigning by Trade Unions led to the National Minimum Wage (1999) — a historic step toward fairness.

3. Workplace Safety

Factory Acts: Driven by Trade Union activism, 19th-century reforms restricted child labour and improved safety standards.

Health and Safety at Work Act (1974): A major win — giving workers legal protections and empowering safety representatives.

Ongoing battles: From asbestos exposure to zero-hours contracts, Unions continue fighting for safe workplaces.

4. The Right to Strike

Legal curbs: Governments have repeatedly tried to limit strikes — from the Taff Vale case (1901) to modern minimum service laws.

1926 General Strike: Though unsuccessful, it proved the strength of collective action across England.

Continuing struggle: The right to withdraw labour remains a cornerstone of freedom that must be defended.

5. Equality and Dignity at Work

Anti-discrimination laws: Campaigns by Trade Unions helped deliver the Equal Pay Act (1970) and Sex Discrimination Act (1975).

Workplace rights: Maternity leave, protection from unfair dismissal, and anti-bullying policies all stemmed from Trade Union pressure.

6. Defending Public Services

NHS and welfare state: Trade Unions played a vital role in creating the NHS and social housing — linking workplace rights with national wellbeing.

Privatisation fights: From utilities to transport, Unions resisted sell-offs that endangered workers and the public.

7. The Fight Against Digital ID and Surveillance

Civil liberties at work: Trade Unions have always opposed intrusive monitoring. Now, digital ID schemes — from biometric scans to government databases — pose fresh threats to privacy and freedom.

Why the WEU resists: Digital ID could restrict access to services and hand unprecedented control to employers and the state, undermining workers’ rights.

WEU campaigns continue across sectors, challenging the use of biometric IDs and raising awareness of how digital control could be weaponised against workers.

The principle: Just as Trade Unions fought for dignity on the factory floor, the WEU now fights to ensure that the digital workplace respects personal freedom — not erases it.

Please stand with the Workers of England Union as we defend liberty in a new era of digital control. Our rights were never given — and they must never be surrendered.