Episode 3 of Nursery Workers Bite Back picks up the story of the Islington Nursery Strike. What did the nursery workers achieve after fifteen long weeks of strike action? How did the strike affect the parents, children and workers? Presented by an Islington playworker experiencing funding cuts today, this episode looks at what happened next, how childcare has changed since the 1980s and what lessons the strike holds that might help us face the challenges of the present.

Discover the history of this important strike of nursery workers, told for the first time in this three-part podcast. Made by a group of present-day nursery workers, parents, carers and campaigners, the podcast explains how the nursery workers fought for better conditions for both workers and the children in their care.

Written and produced by Kelly Allnutt, Kerry O’Connor and Lydia CS

Interviews were with Julia Manning Morton, Karen Reeve, Terry Conway, Ivor Kallin, David Saltiel, Veronica Speirs and Karen Quinn.

The poem 1984 was written and performed by Ivor Kallin.

Sound design by Hannah Kemp - Welch.

Nursery Workers Bite Back was made as part of ‘When the Nursery Workers Said No’, a project run by Rosa Schling, funded by Historic England.

Thank you to all the strikers, all the group members and the Parent House for hosting us.

Find out more at https://childcarehistory.org.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 2 of Nursery Workers Bite Back details the dramatic events that took place during the Islington Nursery Strike of 1984. Discover what happened when parents and toddlers took over Islington Town Hall, how the strikers made a splash at the opening of a swimming pool and how they connected with the miners strike. Presented by a nursery worker with recent experience of going on strike, episode 2 explores the tactics and strategy used by the nursery workers throughout the fifteen week strike.

Discover the history of this important strike of nursery workers, told for the first time in this three-part podcast. Made by a group of present-day nursery workers, parents, carers and campaigners, the podcast explains how the nursery workers fought for better conditions for both workers and the children in their care.

Written and produced by Jo Henley, Robyn Moffat and Albinia Stanley

Interviews were with, Julia Manning Morton, Karen Reeve, Terry Conway, Ivor Kallin, David Saltiel, Veronica Speirs and Karen Quinn.

The poem 1984 was written and performed by Ivor Kallin.

Sound design by Hannah Kemp-Welch.

Nursery Workers Bite Back was made as part of ‘When the Nursery Workers Said No’, a project run by Rosa Schling, funded by Historic England.

Thank you to all the strikers, all the group members and the Parent House for hosting us.

Find out more at https://childcarehistory.org.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday 16 April 1984 155 nursery workers employed by Islington Council began an indefinite strike. Their industrial action was sparked by understaffing in the nurseries, which meant there was often an unsafe ratio of children to staff. The strike lasted fifteen weeks, during which time all twelve council-run Children’s Day Centres were closed. The strikers returned to work on 30 July 1984, having won real improvements in the Children’s Day Centres.

Discover this important history told here for the first time. Made by a group of present-day nursery workers, parents, carers and campaigners, these podcasts tell the story of how the nursery workers fought for better conditions for both themselves and the children in their care.

Episode 1 sets the scene for the nursery worker strike, explaining what life in the nurseries was like in the early 1980s and how the nursery workers took the decision to go on strike.

Written and produced by Karen Fischer, Jo Harrison and Angela Mascolo.

Interviews were with, Julia Manning Morton, Karen Reeve, Terry Conway, Ivor Kallin, David Saltiel, Veronica Speirs and Karen Quinn.

The poem 1984 was written and performed by Ivor Kallin.

Sound design by Hannah Kemp - Welch.

Nursery Workers Bite Back was made as part of ‘When the Nursery Workers Said No’, a project run by Rosa Schling for On the Record, funded by Historic England.

Thank you to all the strikers, all the group members and the Parent House for hosting us.

Find out more at https://childcarehistory.org.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.