Activists met this evening to begin planning the NUJ’s involvement in what we hope will be a massive showing of union solidarity at the Labour party conference on 27 September.

So far four unions – NUJ, NUT, UCU and PCS – have come together nationally with the mass anti-war movement to organise a joint protest at the conference in Brighton.

To help build support for the event we hope to hold a Stand up for Journalism public meeting in London in mid-September. Further details will be published when available.

We need to ensure as many members as possible are involved in building for the protest and chapels and branches will be asked to discuss what they can do, and what support they can offer.

While we are working towards a big turnout at the protest, more importantly the event provides a focus to help us co-ordinate our fightback against the cuts in all sectors of our industry and the attacks on quality journalism and press freedom.

Recent militant actions across the country – including at Visteon, Lindsey and, more recently, Vestas on the Isle of Wight and Thomas Cook in Dublin – show what can be achieved when workers take the initiative.

Like everyone, NUJ members will be watching these disputes and it is our task as activists to use these opportunities to talk about how we can fight the employers who are using the recession as an excuse to execute devastating cuts.

We are keen to learn lessons from those who have taken part in occupations and other forms of action, and hope to build more of these links as this campaign progresses.

We need a united strategy, not just within the NUJ but beyond, drawing in other unions, campaigners and supporters.

The gathering is held annually in the Dorset village made famous by six 19^th century agricultural workers who took an oath of allegiance to fight to improve wages and conditions for their fellow workers.

They were sentenced to seven years hard labour in Australia in 1834, but the conviction was lifted and they returned to Dorset in triumph after a massive public campaign across England, which helped seal many of the rights to organise and fight which form the basis of modern trade unionism.

Former NUJ president Tim Lezard is a long-standing organiser of the festival and chaired one of two key all-comers debates held on the second of the three-day event – on how to link unions with communities and new methods of organising workers.

Current vice president Pete Murray stood in for NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear for the first debate, chaired by Sue Fearns from the campaign group Unions 21, on how UK unions have responded to the recession.

At both, NUJ Left members, assistant northern organiser Jenny Lennox and NEC new media rep Donnacha DeLong, made substantial contributions from the floor.

The festival itself has none of the laminated cards, heavy-handed security or cosseted, aloof artistes which are – sadly – such a feature of the summer festival season.

Nor has it lost the strong political and trade union message at its heart.  Indeed, this year’s Tolpuddle was clearly energised by the presence of a group of workers and supporters from the Vestas wind turbine plant on the Isle of Wight – where more than 600 workers are threatened with redundancy if the company goes ahead with plans to close the plant.

NUJ Left members will already know that the workforce has taken strong and determined action to resist closure by occupying the factory.

In the course of the Unions 21 debate, the local MP and employment minister Jim Knight pledged to “do what he could” to save the jobs in a vital sustainable energy sector.  NUJ Left members will want to do all we can to support the Vestas workers.

One demonstration was already held outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change in Whitehall this week. It is likely further protests will take place as the campaign grows.

In the meantime, please send messages of support to savevestas@gmail.com and for more information visit the Save Vestas website.