Talking Shop

In this episode of Requires Improvement, Co-hosts Tom and Lauren interview Andy Byrne, one of the committee members of Hammers United, a football fan club for West Ham. Andy speaks about the similar challenges fans face to educators and trade unionists when confronted with market forces, structural change and the need for ordinary people to have control over their cultural lives as well as in the workplace. Connections are drawn between how organisers in different sectors can learn from each other about effective approaches to building inclusive supermajorities and having an impact on real life events. Check out Hammers United's website here: hammersunited.com/ You can also find them on twitter here: mobile.twitter.com/hammersunited2?lang=en

This episode includes references to violence, sexual violence, abuse and suicide. It also contains a lot of spoilers. This episode we talk about feminism in horror films, with discussion of some feminist horror films you could watch to survive this second, yet more horrifying, lockdown. We explore some different feminist perspectives in horror films, including films with more realistic psychological points about women’s oppression, like the Babadook, as well as some sillier films like Teeth, with its focus on sexuality, rape, revenge and liberation. We discuss Sophie Lewis on the horrors of the patriarchal family and the search for less oppressive forms of belonging in Midsommar. We talk about how feminist themes in horror have changed and developed and what it could all mean. Finally we discuss how the new physical and mental horrors created by the fusion of life and work in the world of AI, big tech monopolies and liberal feminism can be found in Possessor, a new film by Brandon Cronenbourg, continuing in the same body-horror vein (pun intended) as father David Cronenbourg. 'The Satanic Death-Cult Is Real' by Sophie Lewis - https://communemag.com/the-satanic-death-cult-is-real/

After the chaos of another week being educators and union organisers on "Rainy Plague Island" in January 2021, the Requires Improvement team come together to discuss school closures, remote learning, the failures of certain apparent allies in various political parties and unions to stand alongside us, and finally Gavin Williamson and OFSTED's flooded inbox. Hosted by Lauren, she is joined by co-hosts Nik, Charlie, Tom and Lee. Our brains are already melted, but let's reflect together in solidarity always!

Lockdowns have prompted union organisers to look anew at technologies that help connect workers together in communication, solidarity and struggle. We have previously published, for example, reflections on how messenger and video conferencing tools can be adapted to make organising more inclusive and that these lessons should be taken forward into a post-Covid world. In this episode of Talking Shop we are joined by Henry from the exciting new initiative Strike Map UK - a digital platform that aims to publicise and amplify the activity of the trade union movement in the UK. Strike Map was set up as a tool for rank-and-file trade unionists and aspires to be a worker-controlled resource to make organising and action for workers more accessible. Henry explains what motivated him and his colleagues to set up the project, how it is adapting and changing to the challenges created by Covid and what are his aspirations for the project moving forward.

Our reboot episode of Talking Shop focuses on the dynamics of home-working (which we also published an article on earlier this year) and what demands union organisers could collectivise in this area. We also look at the recent actions of the education union NEU and their use of Section 44 to organise against the wider reopening of schools. Chris from the editorial team shares his experiences of working in schools during the pandemic and what organisation around these demands has been like on the ground.

When we started the New Syndicalist project one of our key aims was to create a platform for like-minded organisers who wanted to see unions and workplace organising play a more active role as a tool for transforming our society. We were delighted, therefore, to discover a few months ago a podcast by and for trade unionist educators focused on exactly these concerns and with the kind of "nuts-and-bolts" focus we also value at New Syndicalist. It is with pleasure, then, that we would like to welcome 'Requires Improvement' to the New Syndicalist family!  In this simultaneously reflective and forward looking 1 year anniversary episode of Requires Improvement, the team consider the current state of the education sector given the tumultuous events of the last six months both in UK politics and society at large. They start with a focus on the Labour Party and the sacking of shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, and then consider what deep organising and the thinking of Jane McAlevey can offer Trade Unionists in this moment. This is followed by a discussion about a surge of interest in anti-racist teaching in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and what decolonising the curriculum means, and concludes by discussing what we see as the dangers lurking ahead for a proposed September re-opening of schools. This episode is hosted by Anu, along with co-hosts Nik, Charlie, Tom and Lee. Links to discussed content: UTLA statement: www.utla.net/sites/default/file…iffboats_final.pdf McAlevey on organic leaders and deep organising : youtu.be/bl6P_2jt_Vs Eric Blanc article on current situation in US: www.jacobinmag.com/2020/07/coronav…eachers-strikes Christian Cooper incident: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/amy-co…5?ri18n=true www.independent.co.uk/voices/amy-coo…vJ9-s-gvDmUiNU David Olusogah - Black and British: A Forgotten History www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b…-forgotten-history Akala - Oxford University Address & Q&A on Black History youtu.be/WUtAxUQjwB4 Clips: "Only had a few ales...get in the back of the van" www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ7SzAm92e4 "Meat and you: Partners in Freedom" www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR_4h5A5z_A educationukneuteachingnationaleducationunionunionscoronaviruslabourcovidkeirstarmerdeeporganisingjanemcaleveydecolonising

As governments across the globe, including the UK, start to implement policies of "lockdown easing" in response to the Covid pandemic knowledge, communication and enforcement of health and safety protections within workplaces has become of critical importance. In particular Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act (1996) has been touted as a key right workers can use when asked to return to a workplace that they believe is unsafe. In this episode we are joined by Petros of the United Voices of the World- a grassroots trade union of low paid, migrant and precarious workers. Throughout the pandemic UVW has been at the forefront of organising in the Capital , defending members who have been denied access to furlough schemes, Personal Protective Equipment or expected to continue to work during the lockdown. We discuss some of these organising efforts, lessons learnt from lockdown organising and the strengths and limitations of Section 44 as both a legal protection and organising tool.

Sex may seem an ironic or even unfair choice of topic at the moment, but, perhaps perversely, we found it provided a good diversion from some of the horror of everyday life during Covid. In what could be our least structured podcast ever we discuss sex. Is it good or bad? What do feminists think about it? What were the feminist sex wars, and are they over or still going on? What is straight sex and what are we really doing when we do it? Plus, find out about feminist events you can take part in online, and discover who we've put in Cancelled Corner this month. Reading - Undoing Sex: Against Sexual Optimism - Lies Journal: http://www.liesjournal.net/volume1-02-undoingsex.html https://libcom.org/library/marriage-and-love-emma-goldman

"Who cares for the carers? Well, it just turns out its other carers." Care work has, for decades, been an undervalued and under-appreciated industry in the UK. Subject to a creeping wave of privatisation and outsourcing it is now largely provided by a complex patchwork of under-regulated and often outright parasitic companies who seek to drive up revenues and drive down costs by attacking workers' pay and conditions. The result is that the majority of care workers share a common experience of poverty wages, long and unsociable hours, precarious conditions, lack of safety equipment and adequate training. These are issues that we have discussed previously in New Syndicalist - here and here - where workers disclosed the often nightmarish scenarios themselves and their clients were forced to accept as "part of the job". The Covid pandemic has shone a spotlight on these same conditions which have had absolutely devastating and deadly consequences for the vulnerable people who depend upon these services as well as the people who support them. Gemma and Andy from our Editorial Team took this opportunity to talk to Gemma - a care worker, member of UNISON and organiser for the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) - about how Covid has impacted their work, what their colleagues are doing to support each other during this crisis and what they see as priority areas for organising in the industry for the future.

We decided to record a special mini-episode of material girls over Skype, partly as a way to try to stay sane and connected as we live through the coronavirus pandemic. We discuss the ways patriarchy and capitalism are bound up with our responses to coronavirus, including discussion of the disproportionate burden borne by women doing care work, and how misogyny shapes public views of nurses. We also talk about what coronavirus lockdown by household means for the nuclear family and those who live within it as well as the impact on those who don’t. We discuss the availability of medical abortion at home and the demands we should be making to reorganise the world when the pandemic is over.

What else could we possibly have talked about for this month's episode of Talking Shop? Chris, Gaby and Lydia from the editorial collective talk about our weird weeks at work and at home, and think about what we can learn from them about organising during and after coronavirus. More than ever, we'd like to hear from our listeners and readers about their experiences. How is coronavirus affecting your life and work? Are there aspects of this crisis you feel aren't being covered in other media? We'd particularly like to hear from the front lines of the fight against coronavirus, and for a better world afterwards. This certainly won't be our last episode on the topic. Stay safe and take care of each other.

On this episode of Material Girls, we take a look at the nuclear family from an anti capitalist feminist perspective. So many of us grow up in nuclear families, and raise our own children in them, that it's easy to think that we always organised our lives this way. In reality, the origins of the family are closely tied to the development of capitalism - the nuclear family is an efficient unit for producing and reproducing the workforce. This unit requires a high degree of social control and oppression to function. As a result, women are far more likely to be raped or abused by members of their own family than by a stranger. On a day to day basis, women take on a disproportionate amount of the domestic labour involved in family-making. It's no surprise, then, that marriage improves mens' life expectancy, and diminishes womens'. We want a world with more love, more care, and more bonds, where we don't have to stay with a partner because we can't afford to live alone or with friends. In that case, what options do we have? We discuss ways we could extend the idea of 'kin' to people outside of the couple, and how this might allow us to raise children in a more collective way to the benefit of all of us. We’re looking for guests who’d like to join in the discussion or be interviewed. We’d particularly love to hear from women of colour, black women and trans women, who are not represented by our regular hosts. You can also let us know if you’re doing some feminist organising that you’d like us to plug, especially if it’s happening outside of London. Email us at materialgirlspod@gmail.com. Subscribe to New Syndicalist on Soundcloud or your favourite podcast app to keep up to date with Material Girls, Talking Shop, and our other audio content.

In the latest Talking Shop we discuss the resounding defeat of the Labour party in the General Election. What does it mean? What do we do next? Why did it happen?

The third episode of Material Girls is about reproductive justice. We talk about 'choice' in a capitalist, racist, patriarchal society, and what this means for our bodies, our lives and our families. We were also extremely lucky to speak to Maev McDaid about the campaign for free, safe, legal and local abortions in the north and south of Ireland. Reproductive justice is the framework used by some anti-capitalist feminists to explain the impact that social forces have on our ability to make free decisions about how we live. Low wages, borders, high rents and cuts to services shape our lives in ways which have more or less impact on us depending on our class, race, gender, sexuality or ability. If you're an undocumented migrant and your options are a £1300 bill for an abortion or a £4000 bill for a birth, how can your choice be said to be meaningful? Around the world people are caught between policies which prevent them from accessing abortions and other reproductive healthcare, and policies which deny them the material support they need to raise children in comfort and safety. But people are fighting back. Maev tells about the Repeal campaign in the south of Ireland, and about the push to extend abortion rights to the north. She talks about the solidarity that extended across the border, and about how they resisted attacks from the anti-choice campaign by talking about practical support and care on the doorstep. At a time when right-wing governments are pushing a nationalist, heteronormative 'family values' agenda, learning lessons about how we win is more important than ever. We’re looking for guests who’d like to join in the discussion or be interviewed. We’d particularly love to hear from women of colour, black women and trans women, who are not represented by our regular hosts. You can also let us know if you’re doing some feminist organising that you’d like us to plug, especially if it’s happening outside of London. Email us at materialgirlspod@gmail.com. Links to recommended reading - https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/articles/britain-as-the-spoils-of-empire/ https://www.plutobooks.com/blog/goodbye-good-friday-agreement/ https://www.versobooks.com/books/2951-full-surrogacy-now Subscribe to New Syndicalist on Soundcloud or your favourite podcast app to keep up to date with Material Girls, Talking Shop, and our other audio content. Do you like the content on New Syndicalist? Why not donate 50p to our project? Your donations can help make New Syndicalist advertisement free, improve our audio content and bring New Syndicalist to new listeners and subscribers. https://www.patreon.com/newsyndicalist

In the UK it is General Election time! For the next 6 weeks politics, policy, controversy and what each party leader is having for breakfast is the top news item. Is this just a side show Syndicalists should ignore? Do the parties have anything useful to say for those of focused on workplace organising? This election has been called the Brexit election, but there is a hell of a lot more up for grabs. In this episode Dave, Gaby and Andy will be chatting about what the different parties in the election are offering, and what if any, relevance it has for organisers. Obviously this podcast in a personal capacity only, nothing in here is an official endorsement, we pinky promise!

This short podcast comes from two talks delivered at a panel event hosted by Manchester Industrial Workers of the World branch. The first is on Deliveroo organising, focused on the ideas of worker leadership and the role of union organisers, activists and rank-and-file workers. The two strikes organised in February of this year are used to highlight these concepts. These ideas are popularised by a US trade union organiser and academic, Jane McAlevey. We discussed some of her ideas in our first episode of 'Talking Shop'. This is followed by a short talk by a worker involved in the McStrike, an organising drive in McDonald’s stores inspired by the Fight for $15 campaign in the US. McDonalds workers in England have been on strike 3 times, 4th September 2017, the 1st May 2018 and on the 4th October 2018 alongside Unite members in TGI Friday’s and IWW & IWGB organised strikes in Deliveroo and UberEats. On November 12th, McDonalds’ workers will go on strike again in 6 stores in London. Their demands are: * £15 an hour * The option of guaranteed 40 hours work a week * An end to youth rates * Union recognition

The second episode of Material Girls is about work. We talk about what waged work means from an anti-capitalist perspective, social reproduction (the unpaid, hidden work that allows capitalism to keep going) and gender in the workplace. In our previous podcast we critiqued 'Lean In' feminism, and liberal feminism in general. One of the many problems with liberal feminism is that it takes an uncritical approach to our exploitation at work, so we wanted to explain some of the anti-capitalist feminist perspectives we find more helpful. The abolition of waged labour is fundamental to the anti-capitalist project of transforming society. So much of the work we do to look after ourselves and each other (social reproduction) is unrecognised and unpaid. As anti-capitalist feminists we want to reorganise society to enable this work to be redistributed in a truly egalitarian way. When we go to our jobs as women, we are oppressed on the basis of our gender (as well our race, ability, sexuality etc) and our status as workers. It is possible to fight back in the workplace, through collective action. We briefly discuss some of the ways women have organised themselves, and won, at work. We'll record a future episode on unions and workplace organising. We’re looking for guests who’d like to join in the discussion or be interviewed. We’d particularly love to hear from women of colour, black women and trans women, who are not represented by our regular hosts. You can also let us know if you’re doing some feminist organising that you’d like us to plug, especially if it’s happening outside of London. Email us at materialgirlspod@gmail.com. Links to recommended reading - https://libcom.org/files/the-problem-with-work_-feminism-marxism-kathi-weeks.pdf https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745399881/social-reproduction-theory http://monthlyreview.org/1998/11/01/on-gender-and-class-in-u-s-labor-history/ Subscribe to New Syndicalist on Soundcloud or your favourite podcast app to keep up to date with Material Girls, Talking Shop, and our other audio content.

Here at New Syndicalist we have been perhaps guilty of following a tendency within the wider anti-capitalist Left of burying our heads in the sand and waiting for the nightmare that is Brexit to be over. In the hope that someday soon it will be done with and we can get back to "proper politics". What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that Brexit and its effects will be defining issues for not just the next few years but most likely the next generation (if not generations). It will shape our politics, our economy and, by extension, out organising and the prospects for radical, social transformation. Unfortunately as activists and organisers we have to recognise that we never really fight in circumstances of our choosing. If we are waiting for the perfect issue to mobilise and recruit around we will be waiting a long time. If we do believe that member-led unions have an important and more transformative role to play in society then we also have to accept that they need to be engaging with the central and defining political issues of the day. For us right now, this is Brexit. In a wider sense Brexit also tells us much about the strengths and weaknesses of trade unions operating within a labour market with a global reach. For our international subscribers, where Brexit may be of interest but perhaps less immediate and practical relevance, we ask them to consider how Brexit reveals an important challenge of making unions relevant in a global context where the rules are set by powerful and remote multi-state organisations like the EU, IMF, WTO among others. We felt that while there has been a great deal of comment and analysis on Brexit from all ends of the political spectrum not a great deal has focused on the impact on trade unions and labour law specifically. As a result we decided to structure the episode around areas of priority for union organisers - how has the EU impacted European trade unions? What are the benefits and limitations of EU membership for trade unionists? How might Brexit change the relationship of trade unions to the state? How might we expect trade unions to respond in best and worse case scenarios? And what should the immediate priorities for those group at the sharp end of the Brexit process? This episode ended up being longer than we would normally plan, however, we hope our listeners see the value in this exercise and if you'd like us to produce more content along these lines where we engage with current affairs from an organising perspective then please let us know in your feedback. Finally, we'd like to once again thank all of our subscribers, Patreon supporters and all of you who share our content on social media. Your support helps to sustain and to grow the New Syndicalist project. Thanks for helping the work along. Enjoy. For the benefit of listeners - Liz Truss gets angry about cheese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_wkO4hk07o

'Material Girls' is a new podcast from New Syndicalist, about anti-capitalist feminism. Lydia (from our editorial team), Vanessa, and Emily will explore issues such as work, reproductive justice, violence and mental health from a feminist anti-capitalist perspective. 'Material Girls' aims to be an introduction to these ideas, and an antidote to liberal feminism. There will be no encouragement to 'lean in' on this podcast. The first episode is an introduction to some of the ideas and debates within anti-capitalist feminism, and an explanation of the differences between our perspective and liberal feminism. We talk about representation, the limits of liberalism, and carceral feminism. We also recommend some relevant reading, plug some feminist events, and permanently cancel some misogynists. We’re looking for guests who’d like to join in the discussion or be interviewed. We’d particularly love to hear from women of colour, black women and trans women, who are not represented by our regular hosts. You can also let us know if you’re doing some feminist organising that you’d like us to plug, especially if it’s happening outside of London. Email us at materialgirlspod@gmail.com. Links to recommended reading - https://globalstudies.trinity.duke.edu/sites/globalstudies.trinity.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/v2d2_Lugones.pdf https://www.versobooks.com/books/2924-feminism-for-the-99 https://caringlabor.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/nicole-cox-and-silvia-federici-counter-planning-from-the-kitchen/ Subscribe to New Syndicalist on Soundcloud or your favourite podcast app to keep up to date with Material Girls, Talking Shop, and our other audio content.

Andy and Lydia from our editorial collective were invited to speak on a

In this episode of Talking Shop, we interview Simon Pirani, the author of 'Burning Up - A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption'. Simon is a writer, historian, and researcher on energy, as well as an activist involved in social and labour movements. In 'Burning Up', Simon argues that, throughout the twentieth century, industrialisation, urbanisation and mass consumption were the driving forces for the technological changes and changes in energy consumption that created the current climate crisis. He also discusses the social transformations that would be needed to build fully sustainable relationships to the environment. We asked Simon about what climate change looks like in the present day and near future, the promise of movements like the school strikes, and the climate denialism of big business. We talked about how and why unions should be mobilising their membership behind climate issues, and about moving beyond the false dichotomy of jobs vs positive environmental policies. Simon's excellent book is available here -https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745335612/burning-up/

New Syndicalist was invited to give a presentation at the Freie Arbeiter Union - Free Workers' Union (FAU) conference on activism and growth within syndicalist unions (we extend our gratitude to FAU for the opportunity and their hospitality during our visit). We took this invitation as an opportunity to reflect on our experiences as organisers and activists within the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in a period of rapid growth, following a rebirth in the UK in the mid-2000s.

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a new approach to welfare supported by many across the political spectrum from Elon Musk to John McDonnel. UBI is an approach to pay citizens wages from the state or independent organisations like charities or unions. This is either with the intention of bringing all out of poverty or, as critics would argue, providing a supporting structure for a jobs market of impermanent, short-term and precarious work, the so-called “gig economy”. In this episode of Talking Shop we are joined by Ednaur who will discuss their research into UBI, its value as a policy and its relevance to trade unions. We discuss criticisms of UBI, examples of where it has been trialed and, perhaps most importantly, can you trust Ellon Musk? You can also listen to and subscribe to the ‘Talking Shop’ series via ACast – https://www.acast.com/newsyndicalist And iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/talking-shop/id1393839035 Do you like the content on New Syndicalist? Why not donate 50p to our project? Your donations can help make New Syndicalist advertisement free, improve our audio content and bring New Syndicalist to new listeners and subscribers.

On this episode of Talking Shop the editorial team take on the wide-ranging topic of populist politics attempting to understand a collapse in the political centre-ground with seemingly global dimensions. Is it, in the words of Paul Mason, "kicking off everywhere"? Is populism a new and powerful political force? Or is this just the old politics re-packaged for changing times?  The discussion concludes on the need for an inclusive, union-centred vision of popular political action that effectively empowers everyone marginalised, impoverished and dis-empowered by the "moderates" and centrists of the past two decades. This is while also acknowledging the need to understand better how union organisers should position themselves in respect to emerging populist movements and parties.

New Syndicalist were invited to Loughborough University to give a presentation on the project, how it relates to the resurgence in base unionism and how we see our media supporting organising on the ground. This was followed by a brief Q and A also included in this recording. Apologies for any inconsistencies in the audio quality.

On the 2nd February, one of our editors attended the women and non-binary organiser training organised by Solfed. The full-day training included strategies for building relationships of solidarity with co-workers, how to run an effective first meeting and how to plan a successful campaign. The focus was on issues faced by women at work, from sexual harassment, to ill-fitting personal protective equipment. At lunch time Lydia had a chat with attendees about the training, their experiences of unions, and the barriers they've faced in their own workplace organising.

Talking Shop - Wages for Housework by New Syndicalist

Talking Shop - Courier organising in the gig economy by New Syndicalist

On the 24th October New Syndicalist joined Wobbly organisers and activists from across the country at the 2018 IWW Organising Summit. The summit – which is planned and arranged every year by the union's Organising Department – is one of the major events in the IWW UK calendar and hosts discussions and presentations on key campaigns and organising work. In the afternoon we invited attendees of the Summit to come and chat with us about any interesting organising work they had been involved in.

On the 24th October New Syndicalist joined Wobbly organisers and activists from across the country at the 2018 IWW Organising Summit. The summit – which is planned and arranged every year by the union's Organising Department – is one of the major events in the IWW UK calendar and hosts discussions and presentations on key campaigns and organising work. In the afternoon we invited attendees of the Summit to come and chat with us about any interesting organising work they had been involved in.

On the 24th October New Syndicalist joined Wobbly organisers and activists from across the country at the 2018 IWW Organising Summit. The summit – which is planned and arranged every year by the union's Organising Department – is one of the major events in the IWW UK calendar and hosts discussions and presentations on key campaigns and organising work. In the afternoon we invited attendees of the Summit to come and chat with us about any interesting organising work they had been involved in.

Common ownership is the ultimate and historic mission of the socialist movement. But can demands for worker ownership be used in the here and now to strengthen the trade union movement? From worker co-operatives, to trade union buyouts to the lesser known Meidner Plan, what positive possibilities lie in a worker co-managed economy short of radical social transformation? Do they offer a route out of capitalism or just a better means of managing our own exploitation?

This month's episode focuses on recent strikes in UK universities as part of the national pensions dispute. The editorial team are joined by Jess Meacham, Vice-President of Sheffield UCU branch, who shares her views on the strikes and their outcome, the events at UCU congress that followed and the future of organising within universities.

To understand what good organising is we must understand and analyse what it isn’t. In order to do this some of New Syndicalist’s editorial team will be examining the difference between organising and mobilising in the first of a new series of podcasts focusing on organising experiences, theory and strategies – Talking Shop.