Work

As call centre workers face a mental health crisis, Janine advocates organising for workplace change.

A villanelle about the deaths of workers at the Crossrail Bond Street site.

Don't go down to level five
A killer's prowling in the deep
Stay away and stay alive

Worker bees construct a hive
of industry, where toxins seep
Don't go down to level five

Fatima’s autism makes her hypersensitive to bright lights, so she can’t work in our office, poor thing.
OR
The bright lights in our office make Fatima distressed as she is autistic and unusually sensitive to light. She can work here if we turn them down.

When workers leave their homes to graft
by muscle or by brain
The least they need is safety from
the dangers and the strain
So those who wave their loved ones off
can wave them home again

Flowers will lie beside the line
where working people fell
For those who keep our railways safe -
they must be safe as well

Every year we send our tribunes
to knock upon the golden door
and take our just demands there with them - 
place our claim, our case for more

The masters let them ask and close
their eyes and sigh that times are tough -
They can't afford to share with those
who made their wealth; there's not enough

It's our annual meet
to judge how you've conformed
So please take a seat
- how have you performed?

Your targets aren't SMART
and it's really a shame
That you didn't take part
in our team-building game

Your goals are alright
but you soon come a-cropper
You're quite impolite
to our mystery shopper

Ever wondered why only 16% of autistic adults have a full-time job?

He worked alone, not a team player
Not a keeper or a stayer
Didn’t fit in, not really our sort
Talked about boring stuff not sport
We had to let him go

by PCS rep, Helen Sheridan

Never give a trade unionist a platform if you want to get away on time. I hope you're all sitting comfortably. For anyone who cares about these things, my name is Helen Sheridan and I am a trade union representative with the Public and Commercial Services Union. I have served on the Executive Committee for my branch for almost ten years, as well as on various sub-committees within the branch. I'm also Autistic.

As you've probably noticed, awareness of neurodiversity has increased dramatically over the past few years, with high profile campaigns from groups like the National Autistic Society, increased representation in film and television, such as The A Word, and the rise of social media giving a platform to Autistic people themselves. Self Advocacy groups have gained more control over the conversation being had about Autism and are steering it to the areas that matter to Autistic people.

Autistic, dyspraxic, dyslexic and other people with atypical brain wiring have particular experiences under capitalism. These experiences have positive and negative aspects, and for many people include distress and disadvantage. What are the roots and the causes of this experience? Can we develop the positives while removing the disadvantages? Can we resolve the negatives by tweaking the current system?

Written for and published by TotalJobs.com, here.

Work can be an uphill climb for autistic people. Colleague support can smooth out the gradient and make it easier going, explains Janine Booth, co-chair of the TUC Disabled Workers’ Committee.