Durham Teaching Assistants – an inspiring struggle

Durham Teaching Assistants in UNISON are fighting against plans to cut their pay by 23% – plan backed up with a threat from the Labour Council to dismiss all 2700 of them and make them apply for their own jobs on worse contracts. Megan Charlton, secretary of the Durham Teaching Assistants’ Activists Committee, explains what the dispute is about, the inspiring response to their strike, and how you can support them.

The TA’s initially had great difficulty getting UNISON to act, but after a 93% strike vote and initial strikes on 8-9 November, Dave Prentis has announced financial support for the strikers. The challenge now will be to ensure escalation and victory before the dismissals take effect at the end of the year – and that UNISON’s financial support is not used to wrest control of the strike away from the members. You can donate to their strike fund here.

For more on the strike see:

• Durham TA’s on Facebook
• Durham TA’s on Twitter
• Hashtag #ValueUs
• ReelNews video of pickets
• Singing at the rally in the miners’ hall
• Aditya Chakrabortty in the Guardian