This short podcast comes from two talks delivered at a panel event hosted by Manchester Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) branch. The first presentation 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’. You can read more about the strikes discussed here and here, and listen to our interviews with IWW organisers on cycle courier organising here and here.



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, IWW & Independent Workers of Great Britain (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