Badge - GCHQ Trade Unions
Object
Badge
Production date
c.1984-1997
Object number
2024.366
Physical Description
Circular metal badge, red and white enamel. An illustration of a satellite dish with seven stars above.
Object history
In January 1984 the Conservative government banned trade unions at the Government Communications Head Quarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham on the basis of national security. 14 workers were dismissed after refusing to resign their union membership. The resulting GCHQ trade union campaign continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s until the newly elected Labour government restored union rights to GCHQ staff in 1997. This badge belonged to Hackney based civil servants and union activists Mary Pimm and Nik Wood.
Personal experiences
Experience shared by Mary Pimm and Nik Wood, Hackney based Civil Servants and Union Activists:
There was a lot of very public support. Every year we would go down to Cheltenham which is where their [GCHQ] headquarters are, and there would be banners and a march through. It was really funny because Cheltenham is a very posh place. And there was a sort of shock horror, “Who are these sordid oiks marching and having banners and things?”
So that was an annual pilgrimage. And in February too, the week before Gold Cup Day. Oh, it was horrible! It was cold, the pubs would shut at 2pm, and you think oh why are we doing this? Some terrible speeches too. Yeah, it was a long old slog. And it was because of the rest of the Trade Union movement being involved that the Labour Party eventually reversed the ban in 1997. I think Tony Blair just had to change it back.
Associated Person
Material
Metal
Dimension
Circumference: 21mm
On display?
No
Inscription
GCHQ
TRADE UNIONS
TRADE UNIONS
