The Bunker – News without the nonsense

State of the Unions: Are they rediscovering their power?

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With strike action in Britain set to intensify over the coming months, what is the state of our trade unions? Can they really force the Government’s hand over the cost of living crisis? Jane Holgate, Employment Relations professor at the University of Leeds, joins Alex Andreou to unpack what unions want, who supports them, and the challenges they face.

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  • “Trade unionism is all about the imbalance of power in the employment relationship.”
  • “The Government is involved whether it likes it or not.”
  • “Google searches for trade union membership have increased dramatically.”
  • “Thatcher came to power with the purpose of curbing union power, voted in by millions from the working class.”
  • “Given the huge profits companies are making, what workers are asking for isn’t unreasonable.”
  • “If Labour wants to be the party of the working class then it must reflect their interests.”
  • “If you annoy workers enough then you’ll see productivity fall.”


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    Presented by Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Jade Bailey. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production.

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