Victory for Tower Hamlets ESOL

Emdad Rahman
An emergency meeting was called yesterday at the St Barnabas Church, on the junction of Roman Road yesterday to discuss a groundbreaking offer made by Tower Hamlets Colleges Principal Michael Farley.

The meeting attended by 160 supporters of ESOl cut protestors, confirmed reports of an astonishing U turn by the College. After months of lobbying, strikes and demonstrations by staff, well wishers and pupils.

ESOL classes will continue in Tower Hamlets and whilst some teaching staff have opted for redundancy packages, there will be no compulsory redundancies. College Chiefs also gave into demands to curt A level provision from 5 to 4.5 hours.

Tower Hamlets has been the focal point of the UK fight against education cuts, with the eyes of the nation on the borough. The peaceful protests had not been witnessed for over ten years.

"This is the result of 21 days of blood, sweat and tears," said Mark Winter. "This has been a fantastic victory and the most democratic process ever.

"There has been tremendous creativity and energy, " added Winter.

ESOL classes have also commenced at John Scurr Community Centre, though these classes are not a part of the College or officially sanctioned by the institution, and can not be seen as a replacement for the lost classes)

As reported earlier, Tower Hamlets Colleges management had embarked on a series of cuts and forced redundancies to reduce access to education in Tower Hamlets. This in turn would have particularly effect ESOL provision in the Borough. The Senior Management of the College were accused of having treated all their staff with contempt and for a very long time, refused to discuss or delay this action. They also refused to consider the impact that these cuts will have on the local community.

The vast majority of the teaching staff at the college eventually resorted to all out indefinite strike, starting on August 27th, and still going strong this week. “It is Michael Farley's lack of people management skills that has got the College into the mess that it is now in,” said a supporter of the strikers.

“It is clear that he is intends to continue to take an antagonistic approach to his staff, and is willing to provoke a major dispute over just 4 FTE positions (that's 13 people), amounting to approx £250 000 of the College budget.”

A spokesperson said; “Negotiations have finally started to take place, Michael Farley has decided that it might be a good idea to actually talk to us.

“However, it has become increasingly clear that he doesn't understand the dispute, he thinks its about his right to make people compulsory redundant.

“It's not - It's about how he makes people compulsory redundant, all his staff want is the right to be treated with some respect.

“That the values that the college has long been justifiably proud of are protected.”