Zero possibility that this friend lied?
Some people love to lie especially if it gets a rise out of people. “Defectors” including the likes of Yeonmi Park from the DPRK also are financially incentivised to lie. I know people that lie about shit in the UK to make things sound worse than it is, and they will swear up and down it’s true after being called out on it.
The last time any of those things were won by the working class they had come home angry and fed up fighting a war, and were ready to demand at least some concessions from the ruling class. These concessions were granted because the capitalists were terrified that an even angrier working class that knew how to use weapons and fight in an army would lead to a 1917 Russian revolution situation.
Until the same style of conditions exist I don’t think the working class are in any kind of place to just demand better from the capitalist class. Hopefully the next time we don’t just accept a bribe and let the next generation(s) eat shit while lapping it up.