March and Rally – Cheltenham – Sat 27th January 2024

40 years ago, Margaret Thatcher’s government announced its decision to impose a total ban on trade union membership at Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

Staff were ordered to resign their membership or face dismissal – 14 refused to do so and were sacked.

For more than 13 years, a small group of brave GCHQ staff and their unions campaigned for the right to belong to a union, commanding huge support throughout the labour movement. Their principled and sustained campaign ended in 1997, when the Labour government overturned the ban on unions. Staff at GCHQ are now members of PCS.

The right to organise collectively to protect people in and out of work is a fundamental human right. Come to the TUC event to learn from the past and celebrate the trailblazing campaign to restore workers’ rights at GCHQ