organisations to emerge in the coúrse of 1968 -the GLC Tenants' Action Committee and the The formation of the Action Committee was largely instigated by the distributing, by members ot thes. 200,000 leaflets explaining the economic background to the proposed increases and suggesting the need for organised resistance. Although the name IS did not appear on these leaflets (instead the name of a local contact was stamped on each one), suspicion of political have endangered the movement.
primary purpose of which is to fight for general rent reductions. The methods used shall be based on the ultimate power of all tenants, i.e., welcomes . but is INDEPENDENT OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES.." Their main weapon is the total rent strike.
those Tenants Asociations afiliated to the Communist-sponsored NATR, including those within the Federation, are also politically independent of any party policy, their policy, like that of the Associations feel that for tenants for whom the withholding of the increase is perhaps the first direct political action of their lives, the extreme concept of a total rent strike as their ultimate weapon would lesson rather than increase their confidence, especially as the threat of eviction and homelessness looms over them.
This difference in policy does not mean that the tenants movement is split down the Estates Action Committee attend Federation meetings and vice versa. In Tower Hamlets and Hackney, where LO organisational and policy differences give way to a militant solidarity that is part of the Eas End tradition. Contact between the tenants is also maintained at work markets etc, — and it is largely as a result of this that the tenants' movement as a whole has won the promise of industrial support from dockers and Smithfield workers.
The GLC implemented their, tirst rent no-eviction pledge, the summons for payment Another victory for united action by the tenants.
To compensate for a hostile and biased press the tenants have had to create their own newspaper the News - which has circulation of 10,000 The fight has been punctuated by various actions and demonstrations. GLC meetings at County Hall are regularly broken up by angry tenants, sometimes with stinkbombs. In July last year, 10,000 tenants marched to County Hall and returned 30,000 rebate forms in a coffin which they laid at housing chairman Horace Cutler's feet. In November, 10,000 marched again to County Hall to protest to the Tory Council. This year, however, they chose a different target - the Minister of Housing, . a permanent, Labour Mr. Greenwood. Early in February they marched round Greenwood's house. Their purpose was to present him with a Tenants' Charter and ask. him to rescind the GLC's increases. When they arrived at Greenwood's road, a flimsy line of police prevented entry into the road. Angel all The police line broken. Suddenly hundreas o police reinforcements. Fighting. Women hurt.
appear.
But he appears to have taken notice Early in April he announced his rejection of the GLČ's plan to levy a second 7/6 a week increase in October 1969. Why did Greenwood do this? Policy. In fact as an electioneering gambit; one in the eye for the Tories at County Hall who accused demonstrators". Said the GLC: "This is a slap in the face for local government, for obvious ends, by a completely discredited government." But, from another point of view, Greenwood's move appeared as a Labour/ Tory conspiracy: if the tenants did not have a second increase to face, they might well give up the fight and pay the first. The way would then be clear to reintroduce further increases whenever Greenwood decided to change his mind, or when the Prices and Incomes Policy comes to an end next January as planned. So the shout went up: "Continue to withhold the increase.
Don't let them kid you into paying up!!"
has now broadened. They have been joined by the tenants of many of London's Borough Councils who are also raising their rents. Both the GLCTAC and the Tower Hamlets Federation