Members of the trade union United Voices of the World (UVW) at Solace Women’s Aid in Tower Hamlets have are celebrating after successfully fighting proposed redundancies to the Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) in Tower Hamlets.
The cuts, announced in January, would have seen 33% of IDVAs lose their jobs but today Tower Hamlets Council has confirmed additional funding, safeguarding these vital jobs in a borough with the second-highest level of domestic abuse cases in London, 70% of whom are women.
This hard-won victory followed a high profile campaign supported by the local community and MPs and which included a town hall rally attended by hundreds of people.
The workers also voted to take indefinite strike action which would have been the first in the history of Solace or any domestic abuse charity.
IDVA’s provide emotional support, safety planning, risk assessments and advocate with police, social services and housing. Their work empowers survivors to rebuild their lives. The team tackles systemic barriers, helping survivors navigate immigration restrictions, financial challenges and legal hurdles. They connect survivors with solicitors, manage homicide risks with professionals and ensure every step is consent-based.
Slashing Solace Women’s Aid’s team by a third would have had a catastrophic impact on vulnerable people, especially women and children, and severely compromised the quality of these essential services.
Syeda Batool Zehra, UVW member and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors 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, United Voices of the World (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. We would like to express our deep gratitude to UVW for being our powerful voice throughout this process, amplifying our concerns, and advocating for our rights. Additionally, we want to acknowledge the incredible strength and solidarity of the entire Tower Hamlets SASS team, who stood firm against unjust job cuts, proving that there is indeed power in unity. We would like to thank Tower Hamlets Council for listening to our concerns, recognising the importance of the SASS Team’s work, and committing to funding this vital service. Together, we’ve made a difference, and we will continue to advocate for the essential services that support our community. We hope our fight has hopefully empowered other IDVA’s to stand up for their rights.”
Karina Cuji, UVW member and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors said:
“Once again, it has been proven that the breakthroughs leading to great victories come from those on the front lines—those who work tirelessly, day in and day out. Victory belongs to those who stand against injustice and unfairness, who believe in the power of collective action to create real, lasting change.
“We could not have achieved this without the unwavering support of our union, UVW, which fought alongside us, amplified our voices, and ensured we were heard. Nor could we have done it without our sister unions, colleagues in the VAWG sector and all our comadres from the Solace Union, who stood in solidarity when we couldn’t be there ourselves, offering not just practical support but also the moral strength we needed to keep going. Their overwhelming solidarity has been both humbling and inspiring. Together, we have shown that when we stand united, we win. This victory is yet another reminder that real change happens when workers come together as a community”.
Isabel Cortès, UVW Assistant General Secretary, said:
“This is one the most significant and inspiring wins for workers from the violence against women and girl’s charity sector for a generation. IDVAs provide a vital lifeline for survivors of domestic abuse, and their jobs should never have been under threat. 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”.