There were calls to the Government at this year's Burston Strike School Rally to make tackling child poverty a priority before the next election.
- Click play to see a video of Sunday's event
The rally, which marked 94 years since the longest strike in history by village school teachers Tom and Kitty Higdon, celebrated the people who continue to fight for trade union rights, working class education, democracy in the countryside and international solidarity.
Bill Greenshields, president of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), was one of the speakers and explained what happened in Burston in 1914 was still significant today.
He said: "One of the things that the Higdons are known for, is standing up for the most deprived working class children from the toughest backgrounds.
"Child poverty is still a big issue in Britain, with at least 3.5m kids living in poverty. The union doesn't have a great deal of hope that the Government is going to tackle what is a priority in the times of recession."
Despite the rain, scores of people turned up to the rally and took part in the famous Candlestick March, which the Higdons' pupils walked in protest at their teachers being dismissed.
TUC regional secretary Megan Dobney said: "The Burston Strike School Rally is part of our history and part of our culture.
"We should always celebrate when working people take action to look after each other. It is a really important celebration for the east of England."
Other speakers included
Kate Hudson, chairman of CND and the
Labour MP John McDonnell, who stood against Gordon Brown to suceed Tony Blair as Labour party leader.
Mr McDonnell said it was an honour for any Labour MP to be invited to the Burston Strike School Rally.
"Given the recession we are facing – it's even more important now for people to join a trade union," he said.
This year's rally also welcomed a number of international speakers – Reinnalso Valdes Grillo, of the Cuban TUC, Delrose Holgate of the University and Allied Workers' Union in Jamaica and Tarcisio Mora Godoy of the Columbian TUC.
Mr Mora Godoy said: "Here, 94 years ago, the struggle began and we are going to continue the struggle today in order to bring justice to this world."
The full article contains 385 words and appears in Diss Express newspaper.
