Workers' Liberty

Lecturers at Hackney Community College have taken strike action over planned redundancies.

The college has a £1.6 million deficit, and has been threatening job cuts for some time - they had said, through voluntary severance. Now compulsory redundancies have been announced.

The job cuts affect many college departments, including teacher training, special needs, adult literacy, ceramics and pottery, and sign language courses. Some courses - such as art, dance and drama -will be made full-fee, making them unaffordable to many in the local community.

As a result of the strike, the college postponed sending out the redundancy notices. The teachers' campaign has achieved good coverage in the local press. They intend to make it an issue in the General Election and Hoxton by-election. NATFHE will host a public meeting, and may escalate its strike action.