Parallels with the past

I had an excellent afternoon earlier in the week with a group of women learning about the Trade Unionist and Campaigner, Mary Macarthur, and the National Federation of Women Workers and their campaign for better working conditions for the women workers of the Black Country.

In 1910, Macarthur led the women chain-makers of Cradley Heath to victory in their fight for a minimum wage and led a strike to force employers to implement the rise.

The women chain-makers played a starring role in the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Stand together, strong and splendid,

In your Union till you've ended

Tyranny, and with toil blended

Beauty, Joy and Art

Lines from the song "Rouse, ye women" from the Warwick University Digital Archive to be sung to the tune of "Men of Harlech"

Of course, it's impossible to ignore the dark and sad truth that many of those chains made by the women of Cradley Heath were destined to be used in the transatlantic trade in enslaved people.

Bringing us up to date on exploitation of today's workers, Amanda Gearing, an organiser from the GMB union gave a really inspirational presentation about the campaign for better pay and conditions at Amazon.

Interesting and useful links 🖇️

Ramadan is coming up soon. Here's a guide on how to support team members who are observing the most holy time in the Muslim calendar.

This report into ethnic minority representation on large charity boards of trustees shows a woeful lack of progress. 29% of charity boards are all white compared to 4% in the FTSE 100. And it's worse at the executive (actual paid job) level where 62% of senior teams are all white. Face. Palm.

This is a brilliant archive of film footage. I found myself watching film of Nicholas II's coronation in 1896.

Day of the Week 📆

It was My Whole Self Day this week. Many managers feel ill-equipped to support team members with mental health concerns. Here's a tool-kit that might help.

What am I reading? 📚

I loved this article about older women doing remarkable things.

What am I watching? 👀

Here's Michelle Yeoh's Best Actress Oscar acceptance speech.

Don’t let anyone tell you you’re past your prime.

What am I listening to?👂

Chase the blues away by Tim Buckley. Nearly 50 years old but still fresh.

Joy-giving things 😍

Here's a picture of the frosty garden. I'm very much enjoying watching all the birds on the various feeders.

Have a lovely weekend.

Lucy

I write this newsletter because I believe in sharing progressive ideas that help us work towards a truly equal world.

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ChangeOut is created by Lucy Caldicott. You can find more about my work at ChangeOut.org. If you’re looking to have a chat about culture, leadership, purpose, equity, or a facilitated team discussion about any of those things, get in touch. You can also find me on Bluesky, Instagram, and, LinkedIn.

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