Trade unionists unite: fighting back in East London
- Written by Richard Allday
- Published in Latest News

Taking the message to the street. Photo: Unison
Use this model motion to help deliver the solidarity Tower Hamlets Unison urgently need, writes Richard Allday
This meeting of (name of TU branch/CLP/LP ward/Trades Council etc.) condemns the ‘fire and rehire’ actions of Tower Hamlets council.
We acknowledge that local councils in general, and Labour councils in particular, suffer from chronic and systemic underfunding from this Tory government, but urge Tower Hamlets council to spend its time and energy on attacking the root cause of its funding problems – the Tory government – rather than seeking to make its employees subsidise the council budget shorfall.
We view the attempt to attack the terms of severance pay as a clear and worrying sign that the council intends to pursue a ‘fire, rehire, then sack’ strategy.
We applaud the courage and resilience of the Tower Hamlets Unison members striking in defense of their hard-won terms and conditions, and hope that other unions representing Tower Hamlets employees will demonstrate their support for their colleagues.
We will send this message of solidarity and support to the Tower Hamlets strikers, and will seek to translate this into practice, by means of a branch donation, taking up collections, or whatever other action seems appropriate., when requested.
Download a collection sheet to take to your workplace or branch here.
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Richard Allday
Richard Allday is a member of Unite the Union’s National Executive, a branch secretary and shop steward in road haulage. A member of Counterfire, his comrades know him better as 'the angry trucker'.
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