workingclasshistory:

On this day, 1 July 1938, tenants living in slum conditions in Quinn Square, Bethnal Green, London, held a meeting and elected a committee to take forward their concerns about high rents and appalling conditions. Residents in all 240-odd flats attended, and complained about broken steps, broken handrails, unusable wash houses, damp, lavatory doors with no locks, falling ceilings, peeling wallpaper and more. In August they launched a rent strike until repairs were undertaken and rent prices reduced. The dispute was organised and run by women, who paraded through local streets with placards bearing slogans like “Less Rent, More Repairs”, and picketed their estate office daily. When rent collectors arrived, they were followed by huge crowds of women and children and booed. Fascist thugs under the control of Oswald Mosley – himself a big landlord – turned up to try to break up tenants’ meetings – but they were shown short shrift by the locals. After two weeks of solid action, the landlord relented, agreeing to recognise the tenants’ association, carry out repairs, reduce rents and consult tenants on future changes.
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