Ayesha Hazarika on Jayaben Desai

Great Lives - A podcast by BBC Radio 4

Stand up comedian and political commentator Ayesha Hazarika's hero is Jayaben Desai who led a two year strike at Grunwick Film processing factory in North London. The majority of the workers were migrant women and they became known as the 'strikers in sarees'. Matthew Parris remembers the strike in 1976 as he was working in Margaret Thatcher's office at the time, but only recalls the violence at the picket line and the fact that the strike failed. Can Ayesha Hazarika convince Matthew Parris that Jayaben Desai deserves the accolade of a great life? They are joined in studio by Dr Sundari Anitha, co- author of 'Striking Women' Produced in Bristol by Perminder Khatkar.

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