Domestic abuse service redundancies called off after threat of strikes

Redundancy proposals from Solace Women’s Aid have been axed in one of ‘the most significant and inspiring wins for Violence Against Women and Girls charity sector workers in a generation’.

Redundancy proposals, which would have seen job cuts to a ‘crucial’ domestic abuse support service in Tower Hamlets, have been called off. 

Solace Women’s Aid, which had been planning to make cuts, confirmed on 28 March that the redundancies were no longer going ahead, following a boost in external funding after a threat of strike action.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands that Tower Hamlets Council secured the extra funding to safeguard the roles primarily from external grants. 

Solace CEO, Nahar Choudhury, said: ‘We are pleased that a resolution has been found which means that the planned industrial action by Solace’s Tower Hamlets team has been called off. The ending of the dispute is in the interest of survivors in Tower Hamlets and our doors remain open to supporting them.’

In February, hundreds of people gathered for a rally outside Tower Hamlets Town Hall in support of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs), who risked losing their jobs over the plans. 

IDVAs, who are members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) union, were due to start strike action 14 February, marking the first time domestic abuse workers had gone on indefinite strike in Great Britain. However, the proposed action was put on hold so further talks could take place between Solace, the council and UVW.

Isabel Cortès, UVW Assistant General Secretary, said it was one of the most significant and inspiring wins for workers from the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) charity sector for a generation. 

Ms Cortès said: ‘The workers had to vote to take indefinite strike action to win this fight and overcome significant union busting tactics from Solace too. But our amazing members stood firm and proved once again that when organised workers and communities come together, we can stop cuts and protect the services we all rely on, services which must be properly and publicly funded.’

Ms Cortès previously said the proposals would have seen the team cut by a third, and would have been a ‘death sentence’ for the women and families who rely on the service. 

IDVA and union member, Syeda Batool Zehra, said: ‘Our work is essential for survivors of domestic abuse, and we refused to stand by while cuts threatened these life-saving services. We campaigned for months relentlessly including managing casework, participating in meetings and protests, and sacrificing time with family, pets, and loved ones.

‘This victory would not have been possible without the support of our service users, IDVAs, and, of course, our union, UVW. Tower Hamlets service users and UVW members stood united, and together we fought and secured this fair and just outcome win for the community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us in this fight.’

Cllr Abu Talha Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities at Tower Hamlets Council, said: ‘The Mayor (Lutfur Rahman) and Cabinet were concerned about the proposed redundancies and about the potential impact on this vital service for residents, which the council contracts Solace to provide using public funds.

‘The Mayor’s office intervened as soon as they became aware and held discussions with the workers and UVW and with Solace management, to secure a pause in Solace’s redundancy process and a pause in industrial action while the council tried to help resolve the dispute between Solace and the union, which has resulted in Solace ending the redundancy process.’

Cllr Chowdhury added: ‘Tackling the scourge of domestic abuse is a priority for the Mayor and Cabinet, which is why the council has increased Solace’s core funding arrangement by over £200,000 as part of their 2024-2026 contract and invested in further domestic abuse support and education and awareness initiatives in the borough.

‘We thank the IDVAs for the lifeline support they provide in our community. The council commissions Solace to provide domestic abuse support and it would have been unacceptable for this essential service to be disrupted.’

Tower Hamlets is the second-highest ranked borough for domestic abuse cases in London. The service provides free emotional support to high-risk survivors of domestic violence, which includes advocating, referring and providing them with information. Workers help to tackle systemic barriers faced by victims, such as navigating immigration restrictions, and financial and legal challenges.

If you like this, read Hundreds rally against cuts to domestic abuse services