New strike dates over Goldsmiths job cuts

Industrial strife at Goldsmiths, University of London is set to continue into the next academic year, in a row over ongoing redundancies.

University and College Union members at the institution will strike from 23 September to 27 September in a bid to halt all compulsory redundancies and force improvements to a voluntary severance scheme.

More than 130 staff were originally set to be made redundant, but this has now fallen to 97. Affected employees face losing their jobs before the start of the next term.

Concerns have been raised that the redundancies threaten the future of Goldsmiths’ black literature master’s, and the university has faced criticisms over how the layoffs have hit humanities and arts courses.

Ten days of strike action have already been taken, ending on 28 June.

The university has blamed the cuts on the funding crisis in higher education, caused by the tuition fee freeze, recruitment problems and rising costs.

Jo Grady, UCU’s general secretary, said that Goldsmiths should use a meeting at the Acas mediation service on 15 July to row back from redundancies “and work with us to safeguard Goldsmiths’ future”.

“The cuts Goldsmiths is forcing through threaten to turn the institution into an academic wasteland, devoid of the staff and courses responsible for its reputation as a global centre for culture and innovation,” she said.

Academics at Goldsmiths are also currently taking part in a marking boycott and are balloting to extend their ability to take industrial action further into the next academic year.

A spokesperson from Goldsmiths said that it was “regrettable” that union members have announced strike action and it would ensure students’ learning was supported.

“Universities across the UK are having to make difficult decisions to navigate unprecedented financial challenges,” the spokesperson continued.

“This is a painful time for us all as we take steps to make our finances sustainable. We consulted staff and unions over our plans but unfortunately this did not result in viable ways forward which would have avoided the need to make compulsory redundancies, which are currently at a provisional stage.

“Our plans will ensure that Goldsmiths continues to be a beacon for innovative research and teaching as well as an entry point for students, many of whom are the first in their family to go to university.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com