On Saturday 28th June 2025, the President and Secretary of Walsall TUC proudly attended the annual Chainmakers Festival in Cradley Heath — a powerful celebration of trade union history, working-class struggle, and the enduring fight for justice.

The festival commemorates the heroic women chainmakers of 1910, whose historic strike paved the way for a minimum wage and showed the world the strength of organised women workers. The event was filled with music, speeches, stalls, and solidarity — a vibrant reminder of how past victories shape today’s movements.

Walsall TUC representatives joined trade unionists from across the country to march in honour of the chainmakers and connect with activists, young campaigners, and community members. It was also an opportunity to reflect on the current struggles facing workers, especially women, and to reaffirm our collective commitment to fairness, equality, and decent pay.

By standing where the chainmakers once stood, we remind ourselves that every gain we’ve made was won through collective action — and every gain still to come will be too.

We remember. We celebrate. We organise.