
Troublemakers At Work held our second conference on 5 October 2024 in Manchester city centre.
Conference Report
At least 177 people attended the second Troublemakers At Work conference in Manchester on 5 October 2024. From a broad range of industries and unions, they spent a day sharing experiences, learning from each other, and discussing how to make our movement stronger, more democratic and more responsive to the struggles of rank-and-file workers in workplaces and society. Most joined in person but two rooms were set up to allow online participation.
Attendees were welcomed at an opening plenary by Kate Edwards (NHS Workers Say NO! and one of the coordinators of Troublemakers At Work) who outlined the context, purpose and format of the conference. There were speeches from Tracy Edwards (#MeTU steering committee and Union Workers Union President), Claire Miller (UNISON, Manchester Early Intervention in Psychosis Service striker) and Daira-Emma (Disabled People Against Cuts, DPAC). Delegates then broke into groups by industry to meet each other and start the day’s discussions.
In the morning there were workshops on “Essential skills for building and winning at work”, “Democracy, misogyny, racism and abuse in our unions”, “Precarious and migrant workers organising” and “Lessons from the strike wave”.
After lunch there were workshops on “Communicating to win”, “Confronting far right ideas in the workplace”, “Politics in the workplace: Palestine, BDS, climate and just transition” and “Confronting anti-strike laws”.
Speakers and facilitators in the workshops who can be named publicly:
- Annette Wright (PCS)
- Daniel Randall (RMT)
- Dr Emma Runswick (BMA)
- Eve Merrell (UCU)
- Francis (Pan African Workers Association)
- Garfield Hylton (GMB Amazon)
- Gargi Bhattacharyya (UCU)
- Harriet Prescott (NEU Newcastle)
- Jo Sutton-Klein (BMA)
- Kate Edwards (NHS Workers Say NO! and RCN)
- Katy-Fox Hodess (Workers in Palestine)
- Margarita Permonaite (Worker Support Centre)
- Nathan Godfrey (UNISON)
- Rachel Eborall (NHS Workers Say NO! and Unite)
- Raymond Morell (Unite Aerospace)
- Toby McKenzie-Barnes (Worker-Climate Team)
- Tony Gaskell (Unite Cammell Laird)
- Tracy Edwards (#MeTU and Union Workers Union)
Everyone taking part in the event spoke in a personal capacity.
Ian Allinson (UNISON activist in public transport and one of the coordinators of Troublemakers At Work) introduced the final plenary session with some slides explaining the role and aims of Troublemakers At Work and encouraging membership and affiliation before the first AGM (which will take place online on Saturday 25 January 2025).
Participants entered words to reflect how they had found the day:
The main part of the session was an open discussion on “What next for rank and file organising?”.
Discussion continued into the evening at a conference after party for those able to stay.
Attendees were invited to fill in a detailed feedback form. Some key answers:
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- On the basis of this conference, how likely are you to recommend people attend a future Troublemakers At Work event? 87% said 8 or above on a 1-10 scale and the least positive response was 5.
- I was able to take an active part. 96% strongly agreed or agreed.
- On the basis of this conference, how likely are you to recommend people attend a future Troublemakers At Work event? 87% said 8 or above on a 1-10 scale and the least positive response was 5.
There were also lots of comments and suggestions to help make future events even better.
Robyn Hattersley, an activist in the National Education Union’s new professionals and young workers, published this short report from their delegation.
Thanks
The conference would not have been a success without the many volunteers on the day, the speakers and facilitators, the Troublemakers Team who planned and organised it, grant funding from the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung and the Andrew Wainwright Reform Trust, Ten Boroughs Research who provided a call centre, and our sponsors, affiliates and donors:
- NHS Workers Say NO!
- Unite Broad Left
- FBU North West Region
- RMT London Transport Region
- Pan African Workers Association
- NEU Bristol
- NEU Manchester
- NEU South West Lancashire
- NEU Waltham Forest
- RMT Bakerloo Branch
- UCU Bradford College
- UCU Durham University
- Unite LE/00014 Hackney and Islington Community branch
- Unite LE7098/L London Digital & Tech branch
- Unite NW/100C2 Greater Manchester Community branch
- Unite NW/70209 – North West Service Industries branch
- Unite SC/162 Leonardo branch
- Unite NW/55 Fujitsu branch
- Unite NW/389 social action branch
- Bradford & Shipley TUC
- Brighton TUC
- Chorley & District TUC
- Manchester TUC
- North Staffordshire TUC
- Trafford TUC
- Brent TUC
- Greater Manchester Hazards Centre
- Greater Manchester Keep Our NHS Public
- Common Knowledge Cooperative
- revolutionary socialism in the 21st century
- Anti Capitalist Resistance
- Alliance for Workers Liberty
- Workers Power
- Labour Representation Committee
- Socialist Workers Party
- Counterfire