Michael Appelt

This Labour Day, I found myself returning to a poem written more than 180 years ago.

The Song of the Shirt by Thomas Hood was first published in 1843. It tells the story of a woman sewing shirts in poverty, her life worn down not by a single dramatic event, but slowly, stitch by stitch, hour by hour.

It is not a story of sudden disaster.

It is a story of gradual erosion.

At the centre of the poem is a simple but uncomfortable truth: behind everyday goods, there are often human lives that remain unseen.

Much has changed since then.

Over generations, workers have secured important rights, fairer hours, safer working conditions, protections against exploitation. These achievements should not be underestimated. They represent real progress.

At the same time, we are entering a new phase of transformation.

Digitalisation, automation, and artificial intelligence are reshaping how work is organised and performed. These developments bring clear benefits in terms of efficiency, scalability, and innovation. But they also raise important questions about how work is designed, how value is distributed, and how human contribution is recognised.In this context, the central question is evolving.

It is no longer only about how work impacts people.

It is increasingly about whether people remain part of the process at all.

I adapted The Song of the Shirt into a modern musical interpretation, a solemn, South African–inspired Afro-soul lament. The intention was not simply to revisit the past, but to connect it with the present.

The repeated line “Work, work, work” becomes something more than a description. It becomes a reflection on endurance, on dignity, and on the structures that shape both.

The goal of this piece is not to provide answers.

It is to create space for reflection.

As we continue to transform the way we work, the challenge is not only technological. It is also human: How do we ensure that progress remains aligned with dignity?

How do we design systems that are efficient, but also sustainable for the people within them?

And how do we continue to see the individual behind the output?

If you are interested, you can listen to the full episode clicking on the Youtube link above.