In The Shed with Ando, Clarky & Gilly

Breaking down conflict in a general sense, using the current Middle East conflict for context and the parallels to all disputes, including the workplace.

Wherever the priority is profit or the accumulation of wealth exists, it is incredible how quickly the motivations of humanity and its survival become corrupted.

This one slips under the tree just in time for Christmas, comrades. Wrapped in a festive haze, the sticky tape is on an angle, and the folds are far neat, but the shed will never let the perfect get in the way of the possible.

It has been a year of military conflict, conflicting positions, and positions that seem to contradict, and that's just when you realise a half-decent dip has nothing to do with a bunch of freedom fighters in the Gaza Strip.

Keeping your finger on the pulse may have been a challenge on the front line of your daily struggle, but fear not, comrades, being a good cunt in a time-poor world is easier than you may think.

So find a quiet corner of your space, pour yourself something refreshing and kick back, we have you sorted for the next hour or so.

It's a tangent-riddled episode! Everything is on the menu; Tales from the road, tales of activism, tales of democracy, segways, same job, same pay, bosses who prefer division over productivity, politics in sport, stadiums in Tasmania, it is all dished up, some served cold!

2022 was a mixed bag, and this is a mixed-bag episode, something for everyone. There is no tangent or rabbit hole this episode wouldn't embrace.

Tips for Christmas BBQs, dealing with your boomer relatives, how to be a swear bear on Twitter whilst not being sin-binned, how to take 10 mins to answer a yes/no question. Rich people missing the point; starring Meghan and Harry. What can good Labor Governments do for working people? Why do the right and the wealthy they serve hate progressive politics and influential and effective Labor leaders? We Break down the 2023 Federal referendum on the "Voice". There are Christmas-themed Memes. Old mate Steph calls in, takes the talking stick and goes for a run. Her 5 minutes timed out after about an hour on the phone, and we loved her energy as always. Sully, the In The Shed mascot, is officially welcomed back. The war in Europe... and so much more.

Lizzy's carked it, and simultaneously, her death became a sideshow, a distraction and a source of division hiding in plain sight. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, round tables, summits that aren't on the top of mountains,  Andrew can't find his Forrest for the trees, searching the dark corners of the profit model on aged care, child care and investment opportunities in the NDIS. Multiple tangents ensue; wage cuts are not innovation, not all business owners are the Einstein they think they are, and when the penny drops, hope may be found in a spot on the ABC Insiders couch getting ya Speersy "grunt" on (it's a real thing).

Hey, it's ep 45, don't worry, we know what we're doing... but yeah, it has been a while!

Labor is back federally; what do we do? Pack up and go home? Will centre-right reform solve all the problems for the working class? Well, it should solve a few, but it's going to take constant pressure from the collective to keep the ship sailing to the port of worker utopia. A couple of lads in the shed can dream...

But what do we do? Many people doing lots of small positive collective things often will help deliver a good outcome for workers. From the workplace to the community and beyond.

You asked for more tangents, and proudly Episode 45 delivers for those who live for rabbit holes. There's certainly no shortage of activity in the burrows.

Wrapping up 2021 with a whip around the states Steph(Vic.), Andy(Tas.), Rob(WA) and Alex(SA).

Every worker must be engaged and supported in their personal struggle from a position of collective strength. Get around Health, Aging and Disability workers in their struggle for a pay packet that reflects their role in the community, support workers re-educating, get around young workers in the workplace, join your union and be part of a proud historical movement supporting the rights of workers. But importantly understand that when the LNP do something, as workers, their focus will attempt to divide us and hit the structural supports that keep our heads above water in their LNP inequality dystopia. 

It's no TED talk 

The message for 2022 is clear, it's an election year #ausvotes2022 and the Workers of Australia must engage other workers and Australian workers must vote as workers. 

When workers solve problems no one gets left behind. It's an aspiration only limited by the greed of the ownership class. 

Bob Hawke once said that "no child should live in poverty" and if left free of influence from the ownership class, Australia may have achieved that goal. Instead via the mouthpieces of wealth in the newsprint media, Hawke was ridiculed. The aspirations of a working Class PM were slammed for being naive whilst those throwing mud were blissfully aware that Australia was growing wealthier by the week, such aspirations should've been a given.

Workers have a choice, Morrison's LNP Australia, promoting as they have since Howard, an Australia that is populated by individuals, OR an Australia of workplaces and community's that engage and support the collective wins of workers and communities rising together and leaving no one behind. 

Episode 40 brings with it a special guest, a one Mr K. Harkins swings by the shed for an ale and a yarn or three. A constant in the union movement over many years, he is a sparkie, an organiser across multiple branches of the ETU and now with the CFMEU Vic-Tas, and a Secretary in Tassie with both the ETU (now CEPU) and Tasmania's Trades Hall. The episode attempts to explore every rabbit hole and tangent possible; joining the union, workplace education, bridging the gap into workplace leadership, lefties/righties, campaign struggles and wins, ..ism's of all kinds, social media shenanigans, politics, and war stories from the lived experience at the frontline of workers collective battles, ...once the mic goes on the pedal goes hard to the floor and its a battle to get a word in

Smashing Breakfast Burrito's, skipping ABCInsiders to pick up dog shit, it's hard work, but what is hard work? where did #RubyDutton go... wait a minute, Dan Andrews must be sacked, Nah just joking? Identifying those who need to Face the wall. Nationalise Farming, Let the state absorb the risk, hot tip: be wary of the Angus cow profile pic, Uncle Baz gets the shits with the Chinese farm ownership, Prioritising the organisation of humanity around human-rights, The ABC hits a new low: celebrating consumer shout outs, Sully drops the mike. Nominate your Australian of the Year; Witness K, maybe? 

Early-onset boomer issues. Active listeners ph in and discuss uniting the downtrodden of capitalism by developing political awareness, especially amongst the worker class. Looking for trust in the institutions of consolidated power. From trials held in secret in China: Media says Bad, whilst trial's held in secret, Australia (Witness K): Media says fine. Phew. Employer's searching for solutions from within the realms of their benevolence. ANTIFA, BLM etc. "Micks Memes", Sully takes a tumble and more

In this week’s episode of In The Shed.
After a long winded intro, the lads discuss the unfolding geopolitical and trade tension with Australia’s largest trading pattern, China, and the tension it’s causing within government ranks with the usual In The Shed humour, crack a beer and enjoy.