Stuart Richards

Discussing the relevance of Vale in 2025 Vale Rawlings was a pioneer in the local trade union movement and a committed member of the Burton Trades Council. This month, the successor to that organisation, now called East Staffordshire Trades ...

📣Union members in the Midlands: A thought-provoking evening in #BurtonUponTrent. Speakers will include @stuart-richards.bsky.social; Danielle Jackson of @pcsunion.bsky.social and Louise Regan of @neunion.bsky.social & me. 📣
24/10/2025
www.forgottenburtonstories.co.uk/post/discuss...

I’m so glad that @tomvickers.bsky.social was around to pull together the stories and lesson from the campaign to build a union in Amazon Coventry

It’s a brilliant read with additional essays by some of those involved (even me!)

It’s available now but don’t buy it from Amazon 😉

The British pottery industry is in crisis

Add your name to the campaign calling for urgent action now - www.potterspledge.uk

While Jeff Bezos held a lavish wedding in Venice, Amazon refused to send a high-level representative to testify in the European Parliament.

This is an insult to its workers and our democratic institutions.

We demand an end to Amazon's contracts with the European institutions.

The government has signed a Dying to Work agreement with 6 unions to bring much needed protection for workers with a terminal illness across the civil service

There is power in a union ✊

"TUC Midlands marks 20 years of celebrating the 1910 chainmakers’ victory with a festival that connects historical lessons to modern struggles — because working-class history should inspire action, not just nostalgia"
@mstaronline.bsky.social
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/wome...

Support The Women Chainmakers Festival Can you support The Women Chainmakers Festival? Your donation, no matter the size, will play a crucial role in ensuring the festival thrives

The Women Chainmakers’ Festival is the only annual Trade Union run festival inspired by the successes of working-class women
Follow the link to donate and support the festival
support-the-women-chainmakers-festival.raiselysite.com

GMB-NTU Work Futures Observatory The Work Futures Observatory exists to strengthen collaboration between the GMB Union and academic researchers.

Hi, the conference was hosted by the Work Futures Observatory. If you follow the link an drop Tom Vickers a message, I’m sure he can include you in any future updates
www.ntu.ac.uk/research/gro...

Great to join the ´Trade Unions and University Research: Collaborating to make work better’ Conference at Nottingham Trent University today

Lots of interesting discussions around how trade unionists and academic researchers can work together to improve working conditions

How do we defeat Reform and the far right?

We come together, build collective strength and fight back ✊

Huge thanks to everyone who joined the SUTR event in Birmingham today

No problem. We’ll get that to you

Looking forward to catching up 😊

It’s nearly time for the Women Chainmakers Festival 2025!

Here’s what’s on and when

"What is this obsession with becoming billionaires?" - Jameela Jamil

Since 2010, we have lost:

279 school playing fields
750 youth centres
793 playgrounds
800 libraries
1,086 swimming pools
1,416 Sure Start children’s centres

No wonder children have nowhere to go

Tax multi millionaires, give us back our public services

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

EU holds back on taxing US Big Tech In April, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen floated an 'Amazon tax' on digital ads as a counter to US tariffs. But with the EU now limiting retaliation to goods, the bloc appears to be back...

“The real problem is the model: we shouldn’t be subsidising union-busting, tax-avoiding, anti-democratic companies".

Oliver Roethig spoke to @euobserver.com for this long piece on our proposal for an Amazon Tax.

Yesterday’s Derby’s Silk Mill Festival was brilliant!

It’s not everyday you get to do a speech from on top of a fire engine

Just one day to go!
Really looking forward to the Derby Silk Mill Festival ✊

Pass the Employment Rights Bill – in full, without delay The biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation is within reach. But Tory peers and big business want to water it down. Add your name now to demand the House of Lords passes the Employment Righ...

Add your name now to demand the Employment Rights Bill is passed - in full, and without delay
www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/pa...

Really looking forward to reading Logging Off by @adelewalton.bsky.social

It takes a long hard look at the digital world and big tech, including a bit on Amazon warehouses

I even get a mention!

This evening, I got to join Garfield Hylton, brilliant union leader at Amazon Coventry, and some fab @teamsters.bsky.social colleagues

We spoke at the “How can academics support workers’ organising at Amazon?” event

Huge thanks to the team at Sheffield University’s Centre for Decent Work

Years of underfunding in both councils and schools, the dislocation caused by Academisation, low pay and increased workloads have all contributed to create an SEND crisis

Thanks to @alexballingermp.bsky.social for creating a space to talk about what we need to rebuild SEND provision

Thank you. Hope you’re doing okay ✊

The UK has fallen to 22 in ILGA-Europe’s annual rankings of nations

A decade ago the UK topped the list

This is why pride is a protest. 🏳️‍🌈✊
rainbowmap.ilga-europe.org?utm_source=S...

Looks like Birmingham City Council is trying to ban culture
If you think they should let the music play and focus on some of the city’s real problems, please take a few minutes and complete the consultation 👇
www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/citycent...

The default position for the presentation of working class history is far too often a sanitized gloss that ignores the role of trade unions

Can’t think of a better example than the Black Country Living Museum turning the Workers’ Institute into a Police Station for the "1960's weekend"

Great to join David Etherington, Professor of Local and Regional Economic Development, University of Staffordshire, at the North Staffs TUC launch of the report:
Still Digging Deeper: The Impact of Austerity on Inequalities and Deprivation in the Coalfield Areas
eprints.staffs.ac.uk/8893/1/Coalf...

Great to bring representatives from 5 unions to Parliament to talk with Midlands Labour MPs

I’m looking forward to following up on our discussions

Huge thanks again to the amazing Polly Smythe for delivering this year’s Mary Macarthur lecture for TUC Midlands

novaramedia.com/contributor/...