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!

Apropos systems collapse, a recent theme here on HN it seems, perhaps being meme’d a bit to highlight the dangers, in systems thinking terms, of hyper-interconnected globalized system of trade. Or to explain Theil’s move to Argentina. Maybe Tech oligarchs are the new ship peoples?

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

Earliest known labor strikes.