Britain is on the verge of mass coordinated strike action. This is actually a big, big,

historic moment, but it's really importantly to understand what this is about, but also the

assault on one of the most basic fundamental democratic rights there is, the right to withdraw

your labour, the right to strike in order to secure better terms, conditions and wages for you

and your fellow workers. And there was no better person to talk about this than Henry Changel Lopez,

who is the General Secretary of the IWGB Union, which represents many precarious workers who

have suffered the consequences of the last few years. Hello, Henry. Hi, hi Owen, thanks for inviting me.

It's great speed to you. So, February the 1st,

huge numbers of workers are on strike. Why is it so important this strike?

Well, we live in a very difficult situation at the moment where the government is basically

attacking unions, attacking workers for organizing. And this is the time to certainly clear message

to the government that we will not be deterred by their threats and attacks on workers' rights

and that we will fight against this austerity agenda.

So, the government is passing an anti-strike bill. It's passing a bill to clamp down on the

ability of workers to strike. So, just tell me, what's what's driving G-Teng? Why are the

Tories so desperate to introduce this legislation? Yeah, obviously, you know, workers have been

organized in terms to improve their working conditions. And it is the case of like our members,

for instance, at the University of London, at UCL, who are striking tomorrow alongside

lectures, teachers, and other workers who are demanding, you know, to be paid a wages and to

have better conditions and to stop their attacks from the government in order to worsen their

conditions. You know, they are campaigning. A campaign is a part of this national day of action

across public sector. And this is basically to show that we are all united against austerity,

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