In 2022, workers have taken strike action on a massive scale, and many more are in the process of balloting to take strike action. In Britain, NHS workers, postal workers, criminal barristers, rail workers, university lecturers and many more have all walked out in the face of attacks on pay, pensions and working conditions. Amidst the cost of living and energy crises, spiralling inflation and the grim prospect of another recession, the need to fight such battles is urgent and acute.
In October, Pluto published Workers Can Win: A Guide to Organising at Work. Written by long-time labour organiser Ian Allinson, this nuts-and-bolts guide to organising your workplace argues that organising builds confidence, capacity and collective power – and with power we can win change.
Ian joins us on the show this monthto talk about some of the key themes and ideas within the book. We’re also joined on the panel by Siobhan Aston, an NHS nurse based in Scotland, who is involved in grassroots organising within her union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
We discuss long term grievances around pay and working conditions in the NHS, new developments in anti-union legislation, and how people can show their solidarity with striking workers.