Victory at Tower Hamlets

An attempt by management at Tower Hamlets College to force through 13 compulsory redundancies and slash 1000 places on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses has been smashed by an indefinite, all-out strike lasting four weeks.

Lecturers in the University and College Union voted to take action during enrolment in order to put maximum pressure on management. Principal Michael Farley took a tough stance but was forced to offer concessions as the start of teaching loomed closer on September 17th.

His offer to redeploy sacked workers and offer better redundancy packages for those unable to be redeployed was overwhelmingly rejected at a mass meeting, as the management wanted to retain the right to sack some workers. Just days later Michael Farley was forced to promise that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

Although only 200 of 1000 places on ESOL Courses were saved, the importance of this victory cannot be understated. Lecturers and supporters raising money at other colleges and schools reported an extremely positive reaction from staff and lecturers. The indefinite strike at Tower Hamlets will have far-reaching implications for the national resistance against the capitalists’ efforts to make workers pay for their crisis.

This crucial victory will provide the inspiration and encouragement to those resisting job losses and cutbacks that an indefinite strike is the surest, most effective way to win our demands. With the Street Cleansers in Leeds engaged in an indefinite strike over attempts to cut their pay by a third and the CWU union balloting for a national strike, the resounding victory at Tower Hamlets exposes the way forwards with burning clarity.

However, the strike could not have succeeded on its own. It was thanks to the solidarity of other teaching staff and the local community who rallied around the strikers, that victory was achieved. Mass meetings by the strikers meant that the strike remained solid throughout.

Solidarity committees provide the democratic ability to integrate resistance to cutbacks between various organisations – from raising money and support to co-ordinating days of action and demonstrations. By linking up the tentative formations that sprung up around Tower Hamlets and the more substantial Vestas Solidarity Committees, we can make sure that when isolated attacks become national, workers have the rank-and-file organisation to present a united resistance.