Posted: Monday 16 August 2010
Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Legacy Lives On
A history lesson for you today! The year is 1834. Six men from the town of Tolpuddle in Dorset are arrested, tried, found guilty and transported to Australia. Their crime? They had formed the “Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers” and, as such, had sworn an oath to one another: an action that was against the law in 1834.
The Friendly Society was, for all intents and purposes, a trade union. The men had protested against wage cuts and refused to work for less than 10 shillings per week. They were dubbed the “Tolpuddle Martyrs”.
Fast forward 166 years. Tourists are attracted by the story of the famous Tolpuddle Martyrs and flock to the Old Crown Court in Dorchester, where the Martyrs were tried. A group of tour guides based at the Court are following in the Martyrs’ footsteps and refusing to work for what they consider to be low pay. The guides are paid £26.65 per day but are asking to be paid £50 per day.
Rather fittingly, the guides are reportedly being backed by the largest trade union in the country: Unite. You can read more on this story here.
One last point: according to the National Archives’ currency converter, 10 shillings in 1834 would be worth just under £25 today!
