Shofa Miah on a parliamentary tribute to 19th Century strikers

Two women in parliament standing in front of a noticeboard — Shofa Miah (right) with Uma Kumaran

Newham MPs were among the supporters of an exhibition paying tribute to the Matchgirls 1888 strike on 15 July in the Houses of Parliament. The Match Girls Memorial Charity put together this tribute to the women who had led the strike, which sheds light on their legacy and the lasting impact of their action.

Uma Kumaran, MP for Stratford and Bow, hosted the exhibition. Among the attendees were Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, as well as West Ham and Beckton MP James Asser and Sam Johnson, great granddaughter of Sarah Chapman, leader of the strikers.

The strike saw 1400 girls and young women walk out over pay and conditions, an unprecedented and inspiring action at the time. Uma Kumaran marked the anniversary of the strike by reading out the names of all the strikers so that official records will recognise them for the first time and for future history.

See the story of the Matchgirls at: Memorials | The Matchgirls Memorial

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