This year the Organise Tent sees the arrival of the new Organising School – a cohesive programme run by the Young Organisers Network looking at the key building blocks every union activist needs to know. Suitable for first timers and seasoned veterans alike, the sessions guarantee vibrant discussion, engaging strategy and fresh ideas. There’s something for everyone!

Friday

16:00-20:00: T-shirt making

Come along, grab a free t-shirt and decorate it with campaign slogans (or fun doodles) using our fabric pens. Wear it on the Sunday procession!

Saturday

9 – 10:15: Understanding and building power

The heart of union struggle is a struggle for power over our own lives at work. But what is power? How do bosses leverage it, and how can we take it back as workers?

10:30 – 11:45: Negotiations and strikes

How do you win a negotiation? How and when does it make sense to escalate to strike action, and what tools can we deploy to ensure the action is successful?

12 – 1:15: Talking to workers – workplace visits, the Employment Rights Act & patrols

Learn from the experiences of young workers who’ve been to Norway to uncover the strategies which secured them a 50% union density – and what we need to do to grow our movement similarly.

2:15 – 3:30: Winning union recognition & the milestones along the way

Your workplace may not have a trade union – but you can do something about that. In this workshop young activists who’ve won union recognition break down how they did it, and how you can too.

3:45 – 5:00: Empowerment, disempowerment, and burnout

How we go forward as union activists matters; organising is hard and sometimes embattled, and it can take a toll on us. In this session we unpack how we take care of ourselves and each other to protect our health and the sustainability of the work we do.