Marx Memorial Library is very pleased to announce the innaugural annual lecture in celebration of our Printworkers' Collection, in partnership with Unite GPMITC Sector. MML is currently carrying out a two year project to catalogue and make available this incredible collection of material documenting the history of printworkers' struggle and union organising. With archive material donated by Unite and the personal papers of activists in printworking, this collection provides a history of nearly 200 years of workers organising in the print industry, in addition to some key disputes.

This panel will examine printworkers as pioneers in the development of collective rights and bargaining, and the importance of ensuring that heritage is preserved for future. Ann Field will look at the history of printworkers organising and highlight key moments in the fight for collective agreements to improve pay and conditions by them. Matt Dunne will introduce the printworkers collections and discuss the importance of maintaining that history so that crucial stories of labour movement history are not lost or forgotten.

The panel will be followed by a chance to see some of amazing examples of artefacts included in this rich and important collection.

Speakers:

Ann Field was a national officer of Unite/GPMU and represented print and publishing workers from 1974 until 2009. She is joint creator of the Wapping exhibition and archive at MML. 

Matt Dunne is the archivst at MML and is carrying out a two year cataloguing project on the library’s Printworkers' Collection. 

Chaired by Tony Burke, former assistant general secretary of Unite and former deputy general secretary of GPMU, and currently co-chair of the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom.