Early day motion · EDM 2243 · 11 Nov 2025
Anniversary of first recorded labour action in human history
Tabled by Luke Myer (Labour)
6 signatures
The motion
That this House notes that in November 1155 BCE, artisans and tomb-builders at Deir el-Medina in Ancient Egypt undertook the first recorded labour action in human history, laying down their tools in protest over unpaid grain rations; recognises that their peaceful collective action, calling out injustice and demanding fairness, stands as a remarkable early assertion of the dignity of work and the rights of working people; acknowledges that their courage prefigured the long global struggle for fair pay, safe conditions, and respect for labour; celebrates the role of the labour movement in continuing that struggle over millennia, including in the United Kingdom; and believes that it is fitting that this anniversary be marked by the passage of the biggest uplift in British workers’ rights in a generation in the form of the Employment Rights Bill, which will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, strengthen collective bargaining, and deliver dignity, security, and respect in the workplace.
Signatories (6)
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Luke Myer
Primary sponsor
11 Nov 2025 -
Jim Shannon
12 Nov 2025 -
Jon Trickett
12 Nov 2025 -
Neil Duncan-Jordan
13 Nov 2025 -
Peter Lamb
17 Nov 2025 -
Richard Burgon
24 Nov 2025
Source: the official Early Day Motions database.