What is a co-operative?

We throw the word around like it’s a trendy café or a startup with a conscience, but in Baltimore, David Lidz and his team at WaterBottle Co-op are proving it’s something far more radical, a way of reclaiming power from the few and putting it back in the hands of the people who actually graft. Worker-owners, not shareholders. Community control, not corporate spin. We talk about ownership, democracy, and what Baltimore can teach Britain about building from the ground up.

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

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

They said it was just about the bins. But if you’ve ever lived on an estate, you know better — it always starts with the bins.

In this episode, I’m reporting from the streets of Birmingham, a city on its knees with a bankrupt council, a broken promise to workers, and rubbish piling up faster than excuses. I joined Unite the Union and the striking bin workers right outside the council house as they raised their voices (and a fair bit of hell) against a system that’s failing them — and us.

This isn’t just about pay. It’s about dignity. About working-class people being pushed into a Victorian underclass while the powers that be hide behind buzzwords and balance sheets. You’ll hear from the frontlines — chants, chaos, and community — and we’ll trace how Brum got here, what it means, and why this fight matters beyond the Midlands.

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