In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Andrews to talk about union building in the social care sector. Kelly takes us on her journey from being a lay rep in the now discredited and bust Southern Cross care providers, to leading the GMB union’s work in the sector as a whole. It’s a helluva ride.

In what is a vital master class for union builders , Kellydescribes

· how fragile recognition agreements can me whenconfronted by aggressive and unprincipled employers,

· the absolutely essential maxim of going to wheremembers are (even if that is in the proverbial middle of nowhere at 11 o’clock on a wet and windy autumn night) rather than where you want them to be

· and why in this sector if no other, politics is never very far away.

If you think you know union building and believe that you’veseen it all, this episode could well make you think again. And if you are prevaricating about building a consensus to fix social care, listen to this and resolve to do better.

As ever, our discussion is calm, measured and derived from acombined 80 years of union activism. Where we disagree, we do so amicably. But there’s no getting away from the importance or relevance of this debate.

We’re grateful to have the support of Thompsons, the leading trade union and social justice law firm, The GeneralFederation of Trade Unions - delivering trade union education,building solidarity and the home of StrikeMap, Pellacraft, award winning and trusted supplier of promotional goods, and Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council. Thank you all.

Episode run time 29m16s. Organising For A Change ispresented by Martin Smith and Simon Sapper. Music is by Scott Holmes. It is a Makes-You-Think production. Contact the show at organising@makes-you-think.com. This episode was first published on 28 February 2025. Next episode drops 14 March.