There’s union talk around town! But do you know what these worker organisations really do? If you’d like to find out about their purpose, how they’ve moved and where they stand today, you’re in the right place. Join in on our five-part series titled On The Strike, a podcast on labour movements in the UK and the West. Together, we’ll explore and discuss the history of worker rights, ongoing union action and where it goes from there.
This Podcast is produced by:
Clifford Heberden: Producer, Editor, Researcher
Tim Hoffman: Producer, Reporter, Analyst
Tom Wilson: Producer, Reporter, Analyst
Episode 1: Mobilise
We kick off this five-part series by retracing the history of labour and worker rights since the Industrial Revolution, discussing the political power of unions in the first part of the 20th century, how the red flags were put down in the second and where those legacies stand today.
Episode 2: Hit the Target
In this episode, we take a special look at UNISON’s ongoing campaign, threatening to reach their demands with a government-wide strike, and compare it to past union action in Edinburgh. This episode features Lillian Macer, UNISON’s Scottish Secretary, and Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland’s Senior Organizer for Public Services. We also have a few thoughts and opinions from Edinburgh residents.
Episode 3: Ask for More
21st century social movements have taken on wholly different streams of thought and desires for the future. We discuss how unions have been moving towards climate action, diversity, inclusion and gender in the workplace, and how they’ve taken new tactics from independent unions and community organisations.
Episode 4: Cast stones
Here we take a look at the failures of union work in the UK and the West, exploring the failed campaigns and moments that alienated labour movements from the larger public. Our discussion revolves around politics, media portrayal of strikes and the trust-shattering union scandals that have held back entire movements.
Episode 5: Go Back to Work
In our final episode, we feature international counterparts and discuss what other nations are doing right, and wrong. We look at the examples of the general strike in Spain, where trade unions are taking the streets for the Palestinian cause, the impact of the Gilets Jaunes in France and finish off with a discussion on the future of labour movements worldwide.
