Voting to go on strike is not a decision working people take lightly and is always accompanied by a strong sense of injustice at work. The impact of losing a day's pay is significant, not least for those in the lowest paid jobs who are already on the tightest budgets.

In February 2013 Frances O'Grady was assessed as the 11th most powerful woman in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She was a fan of drama and by the age of 17 was also learning about the world of work. Her grandfather was a founder member of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union and her father was a shop steward at the Leyland car plant in Cowley.