In ancient Egypt, there were various trade unions, usually organized by profession

One of the most interesting was the thieves' union

Suppose someone stole yr carpet at night, and in the morning you'd go to the office of the head of the thieves' union, pay 25% of the carpet's value, and get it back. Much better than modern insurance!

• n4r9

  today at 8:39 PM

  Sounds a little like the Thieves' Guild in Discworld.

  > The Thieves' Guild was established early in Lord Havelock Vetinari's rule of Ankh-Morpork. Lord Vetinari realised that what people crave is stability, and that, while it is impossible to stamp out crime altogether, it is possible to regulate it. The major gang leaders of the city were therefore called to the Patrician's Palace, where they agreed to be held responsible for ensuring a socially acceptable number of thefts.

  > While initially the main money-making venture of Thieves' Guild members remained theft, albeit under strict guidelines and leaving a receipt, more recent books show a system of "insurance", whereby people may pay a fee directly to the Guild and therefore become immune to robbery for a specified period.

The "Past Lives" podcast just had an episode on the workers of Deir El-Medina.

Earliest known labor strikes.