Burston School Strike Rally: A Living Legacy of Resistance
The Burston School Strike Rally is far more than a nostalgic nod to the past, it’s a living symbol of grassroots resistance, solidarity, and the enduring power of collective action.
The rally marks the dismissal in 1914 of Tom and Kitty Higdon, teachers sacked for standing up for working-class children, challenging poor conditions, and daring to take on the local elite. Their removal sparked the longest strike in British history, as pupils and parents built their own “Strike School” that ran for 25 years.
What began as a local act of defiance became a national cause, uniting communities around the principles of justice, dignity, and the right to organise; values at the very heart of our trade union movement.
Today’s Burston Rally is more than a commemoration. It is a platform for trade unions, campaigners, and politicians to call for change in an age of austerity, insecure work, and underfunded public services. It’s a reminder that even the smallest communities can ignite movements that echo for generations.
Held on the first Sunday of every September, the rally continues to bring together activists, trade unionists, and communities from across the country. For PCS members, Burston stands as both history and inspiration: proof that solidarity works, and that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary change when they stand together.