Person    | Female  Born 2/4/1933  Died 23/12/2010

Jayaben Desai

Categories: Politics & Administration

Countries: Africa, India

Trade Unionist and teacher. Born as Jayaben Suryakant Patel in Dharmaj, Gujarat, India. She moved with her husband to Tanganyika (now Tanzania), but was forced to leave for Britain following the country's independence and the introduction of its policy of 'Africanisation'. She found employment at the Grunwick film processing plant, but refused to accept the treatment meted out to low-paid migrant workers, particularly the managerial control and compulsory overtime at short notice. She led a walkout which was the start of the Grunwick workers strike. She went on to teach at the Brent Indian Association. Died at the Middlesex Manor Nursing Centre, Wembley.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Jayaben Desai

Commemorated ati

Jayaben Desai

Commemorating Jayaben Desai, 2nd April 1933 to 23rd December 2010. Leader of ...

Read More

Other Subjects

Sir Polydore de Keyser

Sir Polydore de Keyser

Born Belgium. The family moved to London in 1842 and his father established De Keyser's Royal Hotel on the site of what is now Unilever House. The son joined the business and the hotel became the l...

Person, Commerce, Lord Mayor, Politics & Administration, Belgium

1 memorial
Embassy of the Czech Republic

Embassy of the Czech Republic

Located at 26 - 30 Kensington Palace Gardens, the building occupies the site of a mid-nineteenth century Italinate villa. Before 1993, when the Czech Republic came into existence, the building was ...

Building, Politics & Administration, Czechoslovakia

1 memorial
Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie

Industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist. Born Dunfermline, Scotland in a one-room cottage. 1848 the family emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA. Only about 5 feet in height and garrulous, Car...

Person, Industry, Philanthropy, Politics & Administration, Scotland, USA

2 memorials
Frederick Neuner

Frederick Neuner

Alderman and Councillor 1952 - 1982, London Boroughs of Hornsey and Haringey, Mayor of the London Borough of Haringey, 1979 - 1980. Campaigner for the elderly, disabled and children, he dedicated h...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Councillor Audrey Lewis

Councillor Audrey Lewis

Had a career in advertising before being elected to Westminster City Council, where she was a ward councillor for Bryanston and Dorset Square for 13 years. She served as Lord Mayor of Westminster i...

Person, Politics & Administration

2 memorials

Previously viewed

Alderman Sir Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale

Alderman Sir Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale

Sheriff of the City of London, 1894.  Born Cornhill.  Lord Mayor 1901-2. MP for the City of London from 1900 to 1906. Married Beatrice Eliza Bower Holdsworth in 1873. Our correspondent, Alicia Col...

Person, Lord Mayor, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
John Wesley Seale

John Wesley Seale

Sculptor. Born Wiltshire. His son, J. H. G. and his grandsons, J. H. and A. B., all became sculptors. John Wesley died at home, Swiss Cottage, Jardin Street, Albany Road, Camberwell.

Person, Sculpture

19 memorials