South Norfolk village set for mass strike

Hundreds of marchers will descend on a south Norfolk village at the weekend to commemorate the longest industrial action in history.The annual Burston Strike School Rally, which has been running for the last 26 years, will take place in the village, near Diss, on Sunday.

Hundreds of marchers will descend on a south Norfolk village at the weekend to commemorate the longest industrial action in history.

The annual Burston Strike School Rally, which has been running for the last 26 years, will take place in the village, near Diss, on Sunday.

Former Labour MP Tony Benn will be one of the guest speakers at the event, which marks the school strike that ran for 25 years.

His speech will be followed by a march around the village at 12.15pm, which will follow the original protest route adopted by children who went on strike in April 1914 after two teachers, Tom and Kitty Higdon, were dismissed from the Church of England county school for their union connections. The couple set up an alternative school, which ran until 1939.

Other speakers on Sunday include Teresa Mackay, Unite regional women and equalities organiser, Len McCluskey, Unite assistant general secretary, and Christine Blower, NUT general secretary.

There will also be entertainment from Ian Saville, the Marxist magician.