Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

NHSLatest NewsIndustrial action / strikesTrade unionsPay settlements

Strikes: Documentary gains access inside the unions

by Rob Moss 25 May 2023
by Rob Moss 25 May 2023 Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, in Strike: Inside The Unions, a BBC documentary. Photo: BBC
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, in Strike: Inside The Unions, a BBC documentary. Photo: BBC

After a year of heightened industrial disputes in the UK, a new BBC documentary has gained access behind the scenes to look at the role of unions in the wave of strikes that have engulfed the UK over the past year.

For the first time in many years, trade unions have opened their doors to the BBC for an unprecedented look at the heart of the disputes.

As nearly 2.5 million working days were lost to strike in the second half of last year, and workers in the health, rail and education sectors continue to stage industrial action, the documentary makers were granted unique access to some of the biggest names involved.

Mick Lynch, Pat Cullen and Sharon Graham – general secretaries respectively of the RMT, the Royal College of Nursing and Unite unions – all feature as viewers get the opportunity to understand the context and decision-making which have led to the largest number of strikes in Britain for decades.

Strike: Inside The Unions

Who is on strike and when?

MPs vote down strikes bill amendments

The first episode opens with Lynch addressing a rally outside Parliament saying that the “professional politicians” inside are “scared of us”.

“What they’re scared of is redistribution of wealth and power in this country. There is a change coming. The people are ready for it. We’re gonna stand up as trade unionists, change this country for the better, and we’re gonna win,” he declares to applause.

There are entertaining exchanges between the RMT general secretary, the media and politicians including his comment to Richard Madeley: “Richard, you do come up with some absolute twaddle”.

But the documentary also tells poignant stories of the employees the trade unions represent on the picket lines – from London bus garages to the UK’s first official Amazon strike.

This series starts with the RMT, whose strikes last summer kicked off the current wave of disputes. Going behind the scenes of negotiations between the government, the train operating companies and the union, the episode documents the attempts made to avoid the industrial action that crippled the country over Christmas.

Strike: Inside The Unions also follows the RCN’s Pat Cullen as she takes on the government in a dispute that led to nurses withdrawing their labour for the first time in the union’s 106-year history. The series hears from nurses who say their wages have stagnated for a decade and fear for the future of their profession.

The documentary also gains access to Unite spending time on the picket line of striking London bus drivers whose buses are operated by Abellio – a Dutch-owned company whose drivers said they cannot afford to live on their current wages.

The Unite members were offered a 12% pay rise and a £500 bonus, but after 10 days of strike and the loss of pay they cannot afford, they successfully settled on an 18% increase.

The series also looks at the rise of unionism in the private sector, focusing on the recent industrial action at Amazon’s Coventry depot. The Central Arbitration Committee is currently considering whether the distribution centre’s workers should be formally recognised by Amazon, after more than half of workers joined the GMB union.

Unfortunately for HR professionals, the employers’ side of the disputes is rarely included, with the government, Abellio and Amazon all declining to participate in the programme.

Strike: Inside The Unions begins on BBC2 at 9:00pm tonight and the first of two episodes is now available on iPlayer.


Employee relations opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more Employee Relations jobs

 

Rob Moss
Rob Moss

Rob Moss is a business journalist with more than 25 years' experience. He has been editor of Personnel Today since 2010. He joined the publication in 2006 as online editor of the award-winning website. Rob specialises in labour market economics, gender diversity and family-friendly working. He has hosted hundreds of webinar and podcasts. Before writing about HR and employment he ran news and feature desks on publications serving the global optical and eyewear market, the UK electrical industry, and energy markets in Asia and the Middle East.

previous post
Coca-Cola workers to strike at UK soft drinks plant
next post
Collaboration and problem-solving identified among future work skills

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Unions to scrutinise new civil service pay offer

2 Jun 2023

Who is on strike and when?

2 Jun 2023

University staff in further strikes over pay docking

2 Jun 2023

Employers face three days of disruption as train...

31 May 2023

Virgin Media O2 pay deal agreed with union

30 May 2023

Royal Mail dispute: postal union pauses vote on...

25 May 2023

Junior doctors to strike across England in June

23 May 2023

MPs vote down strikes bill amendments

23 May 2023

Mark Serwotka to retire as PCS general secretary

18 May 2023

Half of gig workers earn below minimum wage

11 May 2023

  • The HR Bundle: Your one-stop guide to building a successful global HR Department PROMOTED | Get your hands on Deel’s free HR bundle...Read more
  • The Benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme PROMOTED | EAPs support employees in a range of ways...Read more
  • Intergenerational working and how to manage up and down the generations PROMOTED | The benefits and challenges of intergenerational workplaces...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+