David O'Connell
@daviduk.bsky.social
🍞⚘️
तत्त्वमसि
PhD | Trade Unionist | Global Labour University Alum | Occasional Jacobin Contributor | Writing on Employee Ownership, Supply Chain Industrial Relations, Philosophy
📍Germany based
https://global-labour-university.org/
तत्त्वमसि
PhD | Trade Unionist | Global Labour University Alum | Occasional Jacobin Contributor | Writing on Employee Ownership, Supply Chain Industrial Relations, Philosophy
📍Germany based
https://global-labour-university.org/
Let's build terrifying union power.
January 17, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Let's build terrifying union power.
The UKs National Health Service is the largest socialist institution in the west. A non-profit, decomodified universal healthcare system won by the labour movement.
I'm proud to have been born within it, and proud of the immense work it does to save and protect life.
I'm proud to have been born within it, and proud of the immense work it does to save and protect life.
January 15, 2026 at 12:17 PM
The UKs National Health Service is the largest socialist institution in the west. A non-profit, decomodified universal healthcare system won by the labour movement.
I'm proud to have been born within it, and proud of the immense work it does to save and protect life.
I'm proud to have been born within it, and proud of the immense work it does to save and protect life.
"The less you eat, drink, buy books, go to the theatre or to balls, or to the pub, the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint, fence, the more you will be able to save and the greater will become your treasure, which neither moth nor rust will corrupt. The less you are, the more you have"
Marx
Marx
January 6, 2026 at 9:49 PM
"The less you eat, drink, buy books, go to the theatre or to balls, or to the pub, the less you think, love, theorize, sing, paint, fence, the more you will be able to save and the greater will become your treasure, which neither moth nor rust will corrupt. The less you are, the more you have"
Marx
Marx
What's the UN up to these days?
January 5, 2026 at 11:34 AM
What's the UN up to these days?
Everything can change, on a new years day.
December 31, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Everything can change, on a new years day.
"If ever I get all the money I earn, my boss will be broke and to work he must turn."
- Bruce Duncan Phillips
- Bruce Duncan Phillips
December 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM
"If ever I get all the money I earn, my boss will be broke and to work he must turn."
- Bruce Duncan Phillips
- Bruce Duncan Phillips
Socialism is workers’ control over production. That’s it.
December 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Socialism is workers’ control over production. That’s it.
Come do a Masters Course in Germany, for trade unionists!
Application period: 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
Questions? Email glu.germany@uni-kassel.de (or ask me, happy to help)
More info here:
global-labour-university.org/studying/mas...
Application period: 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
Questions? Email glu.germany@uni-kassel.de (or ask me, happy to help)
More info here:
global-labour-university.org/studying/mas...
December 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Come do a Masters Course in Germany, for trade unionists!
Application period: 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
Questions? Email glu.germany@uni-kassel.de (or ask me, happy to help)
More info here:
global-labour-university.org/studying/mas...
Application period: 1 December 2025 – 31 March 2026
Questions? Email glu.germany@uni-kassel.de (or ask me, happy to help)
More info here:
global-labour-university.org/studying/mas...
The Most Serene Republic of Venice lasted over 1,100 years, making it the longest lasting and most stable republic in history.
The United States, for comparison, is only 250 years old.
The United States, for comparison, is only 250 years old.
December 15, 2025 at 7:26 PM
The Most Serene Republic of Venice lasted over 1,100 years, making it the longest lasting and most stable republic in history.
The United States, for comparison, is only 250 years old.
The United States, for comparison, is only 250 years old.
Capitalism is not markets, and socialism is not planning.
In fact, capitalism can be highly planned, and socialism can utilize free markets. E.g. market socialism, with a system of worker cooperatives participating in a genuinely free market.
The difference is who owns the means of production.
In fact, capitalism can be highly planned, and socialism can utilize free markets. E.g. market socialism, with a system of worker cooperatives participating in a genuinely free market.
The difference is who owns the means of production.
December 10, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Capitalism is not markets, and socialism is not planning.
In fact, capitalism can be highly planned, and socialism can utilize free markets. E.g. market socialism, with a system of worker cooperatives participating in a genuinely free market.
The difference is who owns the means of production.
In fact, capitalism can be highly planned, and socialism can utilize free markets. E.g. market socialism, with a system of worker cooperatives participating in a genuinely free market.
The difference is who owns the means of production.
This is very, very interesting.
DEBATE: Marxism VS Social Democracy
YouTube video by Novara Media
youtu.be
December 7, 2025 at 12:13 PM
This is very, very interesting.
Ian Mikardo. Labour MP for Reading from 1950, pushed for the implementation of widespread employee ownership and worker self-management as part of the Attlee Government's nationalisation programme.
A reminder of the party's transformative, more socialist tradition.
He'd probably be expelled today.
A reminder of the party's transformative, more socialist tradition.
He'd probably be expelled today.
December 5, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Ian Mikardo. Labour MP for Reading from 1950, pushed for the implementation of widespread employee ownership and worker self-management as part of the Attlee Government's nationalisation programme.
A reminder of the party's transformative, more socialist tradition.
He'd probably be expelled today.
A reminder of the party's transformative, more socialist tradition.
He'd probably be expelled today.
The left should talk more about power redistribution than wealth redistribution.
December 2, 2025 at 11:26 PM
The left should talk more about power redistribution than wealth redistribution.
They let me into the US!, a pleasure to meet great comrades at Rutgers' Labor Education Center 🇺🇸
December 1, 2025 at 1:48 PM
They let me into the US!, a pleasure to meet great comrades at Rutgers' Labor Education Center 🇺🇸
The trade union is the pathway to socialism
November 3, 2025 at 11:10 AM
The trade union is the pathway to socialism
India now has its first ever worker owned taxi company. This is good news.
Sahkar Taxi | India’s First Cooperative Taxi Service
Sahkar Taxi is India’s first cooperative taxi service where drivers earn 100% profit. Safe, affordable rides powered by local ownership and trust.
sahkar-taxi.in
October 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
India now has its first ever worker owned taxi company. This is good news.
The problem with libertarianism is that you eventually run out of other people's money
Milei Approval Rating Hits New Low Before Midterms, Poll Finds
Argentine President Javier Milei’s approval rating fell to its lowest level in October since he took office as economic expectations remained negative and corruption topped voters’ concerns.
www.bloomberg.com
October 24, 2025 at 11:58 AM
The problem with libertarianism is that you eventually run out of other people's money
The UK Conservative Party is the most successful political party in human history. Its sudden collapse signifies a fundamental shift in class relations. The landed gentry (still beholden to feudal notions of duty) are losing out to totalitarian capitalists - two factions it used to hold together.
October 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
The UK Conservative Party is the most successful political party in human history. Its sudden collapse signifies a fundamental shift in class relations. The landed gentry (still beholden to feudal notions of duty) are losing out to totalitarian capitalists - two factions it used to hold together.
The island of Capri, where Emperor Tiberius spent much of his later rule in seclusion, engaging in debauchery so profound it influenced the course of history itself
October 7, 2025 at 3:01 PM
The island of Capri, where Emperor Tiberius spent much of his later rule in seclusion, engaging in debauchery so profound it influenced the course of history itself
Italy is beautiful too
October 3, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Italy is beautiful too
For all interested, applications are now open for the Global Labour University Engage South Africa course 2026, at Witts University in Johannesburg.
Find more details below, or feel free to each out to me for more information.
Find more details below, or feel free to each out to me for more information.
www.wits.ac.za
October 1, 2025 at 10:21 AM
For all interested, applications are now open for the Global Labour University Engage South Africa course 2026, at Witts University in Johannesburg.
Find more details below, or feel free to each out to me for more information.
Find more details below, or feel free to each out to me for more information.
Call for Abstracts - 2026 GLU International Conference. Look forward to seeing many of you there!
More information about the conference can be found on the conference website:
global-labour-university.org/events/glu-c...
More information about the conference can be found on the conference website:
global-labour-university.org/events/glu-c...
September 30, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Call for Abstracts - 2026 GLU International Conference. Look forward to seeing many of you there!
More information about the conference can be found on the conference website:
global-labour-university.org/events/glu-c...
More information about the conference can be found on the conference website:
global-labour-university.org/events/glu-c...
Towards the cooperative commonwealth!
September 28, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Towards the cooperative commonwealth!
One wonders what the radicals of the eighteenth century like Paine or Blake would make of the fact that, in our time, most Popes have proved to be more progressive than most presidents of the United States
September 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
One wonders what the radicals of the eighteenth century like Paine or Blake would make of the fact that, in our time, most Popes have proved to be more progressive than most presidents of the United States
It was an honour to work on this survey, and write on what role the GLU alumni could play in the wider labour movement ✊🏻
Did you all see the presentation of the #Survey on our @glu-network.bsky.social #GLU-Alumni conducted by @daviduk.bsky.social and Jacqueline Wambui Wamai? #InternationalSolidarity #TradeUnions #GlobalLabourUniversity
globallabourcolumn.org/2025/05/28/m...
globallabourcolumn.org/2025/05/28/m...
Maintaining the GLU Alumni Network’s web of solidarity in a changing world
-David O’Connell and Jacqueline Wambui Wamai The Global Labour University, a project whose success was never guaranteed, has now celebrated its 20th anniversary. This milestone provides an opportun…
globallabourcolumn.org
September 24, 2025 at 12:19 PM
It was an honour to work on this survey, and write on what role the GLU alumni could play in the wider labour movement ✊🏻