North London college workers strike to defend rep

UCU union members at the College of North West London (CNWL) struck last Wednesday and Saturday in defence of suspended union rep Indro Sen.

UCU members voted by 93 percent for strikes in response, and struck for two days earlier this year.

A second ballot delivered an 83 percent vote for strikes on a 54 percent turnout—beating the new harsher thresholds in the Trade Union Act. Workers plan a protest on 24 August, enrolment day.

Sen was suspended after leading a fight against a planned merger of CNWL and the City of Westminster College.

UCU union members at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College struck on Thursday of last week over job cuts.

Workers backed strikes by 83 percent in a recent ballot. Bosses have refused to rule out compulsory redundancies.

They tried to intimidate workers from taking action by threatening to reduce the redundancy deal for workers if the UCU didn’t cancel its strike ballot.