Prospect Young Workers Forum May 2022

The Prospect Young Workers Forum took place during the last weekend of May 2022, and the event was a resounding success!

From the first meeting of the Prospect Young Workers Committee, we were clear in our ambition to encourage greater networking and bonds of solidarity amongst Young Workers, this is something the committee saw as even more essential following the isolation of the last couple of years. The Young Workers Forum I believe exceeded the Committees expectations, thanks to the thought-provoking presentations, workshops and the conversations amongst those in attendance, none of which would have been possible had it not been for the tireless work of our organiser Kay Huntbach who put every effort in to ensure the weekend ran without a hitch.

The first panel discussion on the history of the Trade Union movement was a personal highlight for me, learning about the Chartists and the Tolpuddle martyrs from Kay, the solidarity in action between LGSM (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) and the mining communities of the Neath, Dulais and Swansea valleys from Dai Donovan, and the history of our own union from Sue Ferns. I came away from that discussion very much aware of how we stand on the shoulders of giants.

The rest of the weekend gave plenty of opportunities for discussions and engagement equipping Young Workers with some of the tools they will need to go back into their workplaces and organise, to make the changes in the workplace that are so desperately needed to make the world of work and equitable place for young workers. This may have been the first in person meeting of Young Workers since the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, but it definitely won’t be the last.

James Burton-Sweeten