With Talk From Biographer Rachel Homes At Euston National Office.  The event is to celebrate the monumental achievements of Eleanor Marx the co-founder of the union and other radical working women and to link them to current struggles says GMB

GMB will hold the first annual GMB Eleanor Marx Day on 14^th January 2016 at the union’s national office in Euston around the birthday of the co-founder of the union 161 years ago on 16th January 1855 in London. The aim is to celebrate and remember the monumental achievements of Eleanor Marx and other radical working women and to link them to current struggles.

The first Eleanor Marx day will consist of an evening with her biographer Rachel Holmes. The author of Striking a Light (The History of the Match Women’s strike) Louise Raw will also speak. There will also be reports from present day struggles with GMB activists currently taking on their employer to fight for fair pay.

The details of the event are as follows:

From 7pm on Thursday 14th January,

GMB National Office

22 Stephenson Way,

Euston,

London, NW1 2HD.

 Speeches will be followed by a short discussion and there will be time to join the speakers for food and drinks.

 The event is free. Priority will be given to GMB members and women although the event is open to all. For tickets go to 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gmb-celebrate-eleanor-marx-day-with-an-evening-in-honour-of-radical-women-tickets-19684896054

Kamaljeet Jandu, GMB National officer for Equality and Diversity, said “GMB Congress 2015 in Dublin resolved to hold an annual GMB Eleanor Marx Day in January around the birthday of the co-founder of the union to celebrate and remember the monumental achievements of Eleanor Marx and other radical working women and to link them to current struggles.

In 1889 at the age of 34, Eleanor worked alongside Will Thorne setting up the Gas & General Workers union in Beckton East London. It quickly liberated gas workers from six 12 hour shifts per week by winning an 8 hour working day. Eleanor was elected to the Executive at the 1891 Congress. The union spread like wildfire. 126 years later it has 640,000 members of which 50% are women.

GMB are inviting labour movement activists to a celebration of radical working women and to be inspired by hearing what Eleanor Marx achieved. We hope this is the first in a long series of annual Eleanor Marx Days.”