Victory in Nursery Fight
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-11-26Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 2 →
A boxed report on the Tower Hamlets nursery workers, signed Susan Carlyle. Reader report 24 Oct 2026: the machine split had scattered it across three other articles on the page; transcribed from the scan 25 Oct 2026.
Proofed text: read against the scan word by word; spelling, punctuation and wording are as printed.
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TOWER HAMLETS' 80 nursery workers have won their dispute with the local Labour council, which has backed down and agreed to pay up!
Better rates of pay than their union, NUPE, was seeking have finally been negotiated as a result of their determined stand.
As well as working to rule for several months, they have lobbied the pay talks, stormed the council chamber, and were threatening total non-cooperation with management [this would have involved a 'fees strike'].
Pressure from parents in the nursery campaign and other trade unionists, and prominent Labour Party members [including councillors], who signed an open letter of protest published in the local press, also helped win the day. This was initiated by Women's Fightback supporters in the women's section.
Overdue
Councillors are now claiming as a face-saver that they did not realise that the pay rise was overdue by two years! The NALGO stewards reported this fact many time during the negotiations — but it took mass action to bring it home to the council.
Nursery workers, while voting to accept the offer, which brings them into line with other boroughs, have decided to continue to work strictly within DHSS ratios, with a no cover policy, until the council restores the 15% cuts in staffing. They are also refusing to undertake the many cleaning duties for so long expected of them.
SUSAN CARLYLE