TRADE union militancy is in the ascendancy, with many young members engaged in industrial action for the first time. 

How can labour movement educators harness this opportunity? What does non-sectarian political education look like today, and how can we deliver? How can an understanding of sex and race discrimination enrich a class analysis?

These were some of the questions posed at the Marx Memorial Library’s conference on the future of trade union education earlier this year. 

Thirteen national trade unions and trade union confederations attended the event at London’s Marx House, with socialist education at the top of the agenda.

With over 200,000 set to celebrate the 137th Durham Miners’ Gala this weekend, these subjects — on class mobilisation through education — resonate today.

The Marx Memorial Library has a proud history of political education. Founded 90 years ago as a workers’ school, working-class education has always been a central objective. Indeed, the 1940s saw study circles on combatting fascism spring up across the country under the auspices of the MML.

Our archive of correspondence courses and syllabuses on the nature of imperialism and the wage system are testament to this work.

It continues today. 2023 sees the completion of our Unite History Project with the sixth and final volume set to go to print in the autumn. 

We are currently planning a rerun of our successful RMT young members course piloted in summer 2022 and a new British labour history course focusing on labour, race and empire.

But this is just the beginning. Our conference demonstrated a hunger for a co-ordinated approach to socialist education across our movement. 

What was proposed at this meeting was radical; to create a network of educators sharing information and pooling resources.

Workshops centred on four themes; political economy; labour history; internationalism and trade unions, class and power. All were examined with a race, sex and class analysis.

Practical outcomes included the development of additional course material by the MML — for instance on international labour exploitation — and the promotion of our existing work through networks.

New bite-sized subject guides on MML resources on the history of collective bargaining and health and safety were discussed as helpful “ways in” for new activists.

The importance of tutor training — particularly on labour history — was also flagged. A flexible approach, with resources which could be adapted and repurposed, was also discussed.

This is the start of a conversation. With plenty of work to be done, we anticipate running a follow-up event early in 2024.

MML now boasts eight national trade union affiliates, all of which have been in dispute in the recent period. There is enormous potential for meaningful joint work.

One participant at the conference eloquently explained that without a sound understanding of the history of our movement’s struggle — its ebbs and flows — and a robust class analysis new activists are more likely to fall away, become disillusioned. Our history makes us resilient. It gives us confidence and the resolve to fight again.

On our 90th year, we know our library founded by and for the working class is crammed full of material with the power to do just that.

Meirian Jump is director of Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School, Clerkenwell, London (www.marx-memorial-library.org.uk).