LONDON, September 7—Hundreds of lecturers, members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Tower Hamlets College in London’s East End, went on indefinite strike August 27. They are protesting 13 compulsory redundancies (layoffs) that come on top of 30 previous “voluntary” redundancies. Unionists point out that funding cuts mean 1,000 spots for immigrants who want to learn English would be lost in this working-class community.

Roberto Foth, UCU branch secretary at the college’s Bethnal Green site, said that no one has crossed the picket line. “We think college authorities were taken aback by how strong this was,” he added. Messages of support can be sent to roberto.foth@tower.ac.uk.

—ÖGMUNDUR JÓNSSON