THE Salisbury and District Trades Union Council has said they had 'a very active and successful 2018'.

The year started off with the council participating in a demonstration in London organised by The People's Assembly Against Austerity entitled "NHS in Crisis- Fix it now", in early February.

The following month they attended the annual "Stand up against Racism" demonstration, also in London as well as the annual wreath laying ceremony in memory of Thomas Helliker (a figure in early English trade union history), in Trowbridge.

In May, the council went to London again for the "A Better Deal for Workers" demonstration organised by the TUC.

Shortly the major incident in March last year, the Council set up an online petition calling on the government to step in and help local businesses and their staff.

This led to them being interviewed by the Evening Standard in which they reiterated the need for urgent help.

In the following weeks and months they attended various recovery meetings.

In July, another protest, this time against Donald Trump's visit to the UK.

The council said: "It was one of the largest demonstrations this country has seen and was an inspiring pleasure to have been a part of it."

A week later was the annual coach trip to the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival organised by the S&D TUC.

The festival itself is attended by trade unionist from across the country to celebrate the birth of the union movement and is "always a high point in the year for the Salisbury group."

On to September where they attended a "Health, Safety and Well-being" conference in Salisbury that was set up by South West Trades Union Council.

Also in September, the council joined forces with Unite and Unison to lobby the NHS Trust AGM against the privatisation of facilities to a Subco, which at the time could have affected around 400 staff.

In October, they had a walking float in the Salisbury Carnival with banners and flags carried and waved by delegates and union members.