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TUC Library @TUC_Library

Founded in 1922, the Trades Union Congress Library at London Metropolitan University is the centre for the study of the labour movement and working life.

Joined May 2014
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TUC Library@TUC_Library
20 Jun 2025
Very excited, on my last day as TUC Librarian, to announce that we have Jim Thakoordin’s Papers. Educationalist, trade union and Labour Party activist Jim was involved in the LP Black Section and Black Trade Unionist Solidarity Movement. Incl notes, letters, photos & recordings
Portrait of Jim with "Vote Labour" rosette

ALT Portrait of Jim with "Vote Labour" rosette

Jim's Black Trade Unionist Solidarity Movement membership card

ALT Jim's Black Trade Unionist Solidarity Movement membership card

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New interview with Zita Holbourne #BlackTradeUnionOralHistoryProject campaigner and activist, she focuses on her trade union work. Zita is National Vice President of the @pcs_union and chairs its national equality committee and women's committee bit.ly/3HIDVES
Photo of Zita infront of a globe with "activist" written on it

ALT Photo of Zita infront of a globe with "activist" written on it
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New interview with Dr Ian Manborde #BlackTradeUnionOralHistoryProject working for CPSA, PCS and now for Equity, as regional officer in the Midlands. describes the importance of the trade union approach to membership that reflects modern work patterns bit.ly/4l6Qb00
Photo of Ian and other Equity activists at a demonstration infront of a train

ALT Photo of Ian and other Equity activists at a demonstration infront of a train
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New interview with Fevzi Hussein #BlackTradeUnionOralHistoryProject active in the trade union movement for over three decades, chair of the GMBs Race self-organised group & engaging on a large scale with black trade union members bit.ly/44myqEq @CWUnews
Fevzi holding a CWU flag

ALT Fevzi holding a CWU flag
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Guest Blogger Dr Sophie Nield, @RHULDrama has been researching for her project, ‘Staging Labour’ in the Gertrude Tuckwell Collection to explore the history of Sweated Industries Exhibitions bit.ly/45uCLGT you can also see bit.ly/43SvVd3 for digitised content
Screen grab of blog post with "Sweated Industries" exhibition pamphlet

ALT Screen grab of blog post with "Sweated Industries" exhibition pamphlet
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We’ve digitised some of our #antiapartheid pamphlets we’ve used regularly in @LdnMetArts classes for a gallery collections.londonmet.ac.uk/… , incl the very rare “I accuse!” Speeches to court by #NelsonMandela at the #RivoniaTrial
Cover of “I accuse” with a photo of Nelson Mandela in prison uniform

ALT Cover of “I accuse” with a photo of Nelson Mandela in prison uniform

Scan of gallery showing 12 pamphlets

ALT Scan of gallery showing 12 pamphlets
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Great to see @The_TUC Gen Sec Paul Nowak and Paul Clarkson visiting @TUC_Library today. We looked at highlights in the collections, including much on unionhistory.info/ and exhibitions bit.ly/3HdItTv
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We're recruiting a new TUC Librarian. A great opportunity to work with a very exciting collection and a great team in @LdnMetSpecColl iaetme.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.co…

TUC Librarian

ABOUT US Transforming lives through excellent education London Met is an extraordinary institution. Equity and social inclusion have always been our driving principles, and it's what makes the...

iaetme.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com
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A shocking attack on democracy!
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center
@TheKingCenter
10 May 2025
Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman and African American Librarian of Congress, was abruptly dismissed this week by President Trump. Her leadership modernized the institution and championed inclusive access to knowledge. Her removal raises urgent concerns about political interference in our cultural guardianships. This moment calls us to defend truth, access, and education as pillars of a just society. #DefendTruth #DrCarlaHayden #LibraryofCongress #LibrarianofCongress
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'Taken as Red, Highs and Lows of the Labour Party, 1924-2019' Richard Temple’s fascinating book has now been published as a paperback. Includes many dramatic episodes cambridgescholars.com/produc…
Cover of "Taken as Red" showing a black and white photograph of a man and woman in a street

ALT Cover of "Taken as Red" showing a black and white photograph of a man and woman in a street
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Very excited to report we’ve published our interview with campaigning legends Jackie Lewis and Carola Towle bit.ly/4lGz7iB They talk about their part in establishing LGBTQ streams in the labour movement, with over 70 years of activism between them.
Photo of Jackie on left and Carola on the right

ALT Photo of Jackie on left and Carola on the right
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We are delighted to be a part of the #GeneralStrike 100 anniversary national partnership with other museums, libraries, archives and groups. Find out how you can support this partnership here: bit.ly/GeneralStrike100 #GeneralStrike100
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Thanks to participants in Unemployed Workers' Centres project - Bill (Ashington Community Initiative Centre), Colin (Derbyshire), Eileen (Women's groups in Merseyside), Jol (Sheffield), Kevin (National), Liz (Merseyside), Sandra (Sheffield) and Terry (Tyne & Wear)
Screen shot showing Bill (Ashington Community Initiative Centre), Colin (Derbyshire), Eileen (Women's groups in Merseyside), Jol (Sheffield), Kevin (National), Liz (Merseyside), Sandra (Sheffield) and Terry (Tyne & Wear)

ALT Screen shot showing Bill (Ashington Community Initiative Centre), Colin (Derbyshire), Eileen (Women's groups in Merseyside), Jol (Sheffield), Kevin (National), Liz (Merseyside), Sandra (Sheffield) and Terry (Tyne & Wear)

People's March for Jobs Poster

ALT People's March for Jobs Poster
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Very excited to publish interviews by @PaulGriffin from @NUGeog about Unemployed Workers' Centres that were set up across the UK in response to political & economic policies in the 1980s. Testimony that links ideas of community, support and resistance tinyurl.com/2hey92ey
Screenshot of eight interviews Bill (Ashington Community Initiative Centre), Colin (Derbyshire), Eileen (Women's groups in Merseyside), Jol (Sheffield), Kevin (National), Liz (Merseyside), Sandra (Sheffield) and Terry (Tyne & Wear) on the Britain at Work website

ALT Screenshot of eight interviews Bill (Ashington Community Initiative Centre), Colin (Derbyshire), Eileen (Women's groups in Merseyside), Jol (Sheffield), Kevin (National), Liz (Merseyside), Sandra (Sheffield) and Terry (Tyne & Wear) on the Britain at Work website
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We’ve been digitising content from our #GertrudeTuckwell Archive which you can see online on the fight for #EqualPay and trade union recognition for women workers. Women’s Trade Union League & National Federation of Women Workers bit.ly/43sEBH8 #WomensHistoryMonth
Screenshot of Gertrude Tuckwell and the Women's Trade Union League page, with 12 images of photographs or document covers

ALT Screenshot of Gertrude Tuckwell and the Women's Trade Union League page, with 12 images of photographs or document covers
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Interview with Sanjiv Vedi #BlackTradeUnionOralHistoryProject chaired BAME Network for Welsh civil service, involved in #ShowRacismtheRedCard & describes the importance of the #BlackWorkersMovement to establishing the enquiry into Stephen Lawrence’s murder bit.ly/41ORHfu
Sanjiv Vedi OBE was president of Cardiff University Students Union where he tried to bring together members of Black Movement and Womens Movement to establish cooperation and mutual understanding. Sanjiv said it was a major success with about a quarter of student population involved. Chaired the National Black Members Committee. Sanjiv chaired the BAME Staff Network for civil service in Wales and he describes misunderstanding about purpose of the network and resistance to its work and the struggle to establish a leadership programme that suited their needs probably the best leadership programme Welsh government's ever run. Of the 16 people who registered to go on it 14 of them got either a promotion or a move upwards. Won a CIP award for an apprenticeship scheme targeting Black workers. Involved in Show Racism the Red Card, considers it one of the most important campaigns. Chaired Wear Red for October for 14 years, Show Racism the Red Card campaign for Wales. Reached their millionth st

ALT Sanjiv Vedi OBE was president of Cardiff University Students Union where he tried to bring together members of Black Movement and Womens Movement to establish cooperation and mutual understanding. Sanjiv said it was a major success with about a quarter of student population involved. Chaired the National Black Members Committee. Sanjiv chaired the BAME Staff Network for civil service in Wales and he describes misunderstanding about purpose of the network and resistance to its work and the struggle to establish a leadership programme that suited their needs probably the best leadership programme Welsh government's ever run. Of the 16 people who registered to go on it 14 of them got either a promotion or a move upwards. Won a CIP award for an apprenticeship scheme targeting Black workers. Involved in Show Racism the Red Card, considers it one of the most important campaigns. Chaired Wear Red for October for 14 years, Show Racism the Red Card campaign for Wales. Reached their millionth st

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It was lovely to meet the @UsdawUnion Black Leadership Programme yesterday. During the visit we discussed race, class, trade unions & the threat of the far-right. Also incl. our Black Trade Union Oral History Project (Wilf & Chi) #BreakingDownBarriers
Photo showing 18 USDAW Black Leadership Programme participants, plus Wilf Sullivan from Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and TUC Librarian Jeff Howarth, and LMU student oral history volunteer Chi Devis

ALT Photo showing 18 USDAW Black Leadership Programme participants, plus Wilf Sullivan from Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and TUC Librarian Jeff Howarth, and LMU student oral history volunteer Chi Devis
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Preparing for a class with @UsdawUnion Black Leadership programme tomorrow, searching for #ColouredSeamensUnion found this wonderful @RMTunion resource written by @simartin who I worked with when I was at @Anti_Slavery rmt.org.uk/news/publications…
Cover of RMT report "Unity & Diversity: a celebration of black and ethnic minority union members" with a photo of Black and white seafarers vote for strike action in Cardiff in 1911

ALT Cover of RMT report "Unity & Diversity: a celebration of black and ethnic minority union members" with a photo of Black and white seafarers vote for strike action in Cardiff in 1911
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Thanks to the hard work of my @LdnMetSpecColl colleagues we’ve just digitised Walter Milne-Bailey’s (head of @the_TUC Research Dept) unpublished record of #GeneralStrike1926 it's aims and implications bit.ly/4icYvdW
Title page of "A Nation on Strike" September 1926

ALT Title page of "A Nation on Strike" September 1926
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Thanks to @kingsenglishdpt students visiting today to see our #GeneralStrike1926 archive in our brand new reading room at Holloway Road campus bit.ly/41rWd3o
Staff and students in the reading room sat around a table studying documents

ALT Staff and students in the reading room sat around a table studying documents

Small group of staff and students in the reading room sat around a table studying documents

ALT Small group of staff and students in the reading room sat around a table studying documents
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