FreshEd #168 – Learning From Transport Trade Unions (Stephen Cotton)

How does change happen? What role do unions play in creating decent quality lives for its members? When is more militant action needed? These questions are asked by all unions. So, in our quest to explore education unions in more depth, I want to explore how transport unions begin to answer these questions. In many ways, the struggles facing teacher unions worldwide are similar to those facing the transport sector. My guest today is Stephen Cotton, the general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation. The ITF is composed of 677 national trade unions and represents over 19 million workers in 149 countries. It represents the seafaring, ports, roads, rail, tourism and aviation sectors. In our conversation Stephen shares his history in trade unionism and reflects on the process of making change. He also talks about the climate crisis as one of the biggest issues facing unions today. This episode was put together in collaboration with Education International. www.freshedpodcast.com/stephencotton/ Twitter: @FreshEdpodcast Facebook: FreshEd Email: [email protected]