Did you hear about the wine expert targeted by his boss for not favouring natural wines? Or the bank clerk whose liquid lunches caused standards to slip? What became of Quality Assurance work that endangered employees? Hear how a legacy of b

The magic world of union conferences

Jun 1st, 2023 24m 17s

In the latest Union Days we take a look back to the heyday of union conferences. Before the internet and digital technology. Before the pandemic. Before, too, inclusivity was viewed as an integral prerequisite for effective representation and

Exposed: Secrets of union negotiators!

Feb 8th, 2023 18m 43s

The secret art of negotiation is blown open in the latest UnionDays. Why is it an art and not a science? Is it worse to “get into bed’ with the employer or to “sell the jerseys”? Who makes it into the top drawer of negotiators and what makes

Episode 7 - Searching for tractors

Jul 21st, 2022 21m 52s

In the final episode of the series, we can’t avoid the role sex plays in misconduct at work. Why do so many men think looking at porn in works time on work equipment is ok? (Were they searching for tractors?) What did the telephone engineer

Episode 6 - Discipline at work and the case for a learning culture

Jul 20th, 2022 20m 23s

Casework is a large part of any union rep’s life. We meet the unfortunate and the miscreant. Hear about the devastating impact conduct cases can have on employees and their families, how Stan’s love of vines nearly cost him his job, and why d

Episode 5 - Going green

Jul 6th, 2022 13m 12s

Sheffield becomes the epicentre as the union tries to go green. Were we ahead of the curve and how could we match the good intentions with worthwhile deeds? How we came to love COEDS (Control of Environmentally Damaging Substances). Why new w

Episode 4 - a bread and butter issue

Jun 22nd, 2022 16m 57s

Into the 1990s and beyond. Demystifying Union Safety Reps, and how I broke the stereotype armed with just a white sliced loaf of bread. Why “elf n’ safey” isn’t just about bogs, basins and boring stuff. How we pushed back on a grand outsourc

Episode 3 - Reckless computer working practices and making legal history

Jun 8th, 2022 16m 58s

Episode 3. Into the 1990s. I’ve been with the National Communications Union for about a year and have been given responsibility for health and safety. We dive straight into the ground-breaking case that outlawed ruinous computer working practi

Episode 2 - From Fringe Bodies to Weapons Of Doom

May 25th, 2022 24m 46s

The late 1980s, and I’m working for the specialist civil servants’ union. Hear why one employer thought jury service didn’t apply to their staff, how another sacked someone for being on maternity leave, and why a third was given a “take it or

Episode 1 - From Glasgow to Kew

May 18th, 2022 21m 15s

It’s 1986. Margaret Thatcher is prime minister. Madonna, the Communards and Nick Berry jostle for the No 1 single. I’m working for the specialist civil servants’ union. In this episode we travel from Glasgow’s abattoir to Kew Gardens, via ag

Get ready for UnionDays

May 12th, 2022 1m 25s

A trailer for the forthcoming podcast series UnionDays - stories from a union scrapbook. A Makes-You-Think production. Music by Scott Holmes. Contact us at [email protected]. Find us on YouTube and Insta - search UnionDays.