As the TUC celebrates its 125th anniversary, it will also be pondering the events of the past 14 years during which the Conservatives have passed a succession of laws weakening or removing trade union rights. In Sheffield Doug Low and Bill McDonnell trace the effects of what they see as a return to Victorian values. During these 14 years, they claim, Sheffield has been transformed from a prosperous city with a skilled, well-paid, unionised workforce into a low-skilled, low-paid, poorly unionised area, with unemployment growing from 11, 000 to 48,000. Their argument is that in such a situation a strong trade union movement is more necessary than ever. Prunella Scales , Timothy West and Eric Richard contribute readings from the archives of the trade union movement.