Academics warn Goldsmiths damage done despite agreement
Some staff had already taken redundancy before union strike threat forced deal
By Chris Parr
Image: mikecphoto, via Shutterstock
Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London, have called off strike action after the institution ruled out further compulsory redundancies—but one former employee has said the damage has already been done in some departments.
On Friday the UCU said continuous strike action due to start on 23 September would not take place, after an agreement was reached with university managers. Multiple strikes have already taken place at the South London campus.
The UCU said the agreement guarantees that 14 staff at risk of compulsory redundancy will now keep their jobs, and that no staff will be made compulsorily redundant during the 2024-25 academic year. A planned marking and assessment boycott has also been cancelled, it added.
‘Hard-won agreement’
Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said that by taking sustained industrial action, union members had “not only protected many more jobs, as well as courses, they have also saved an institution that was in danger of burning down its own house”.
“This hard-won agreement is a testament to their strength,” she said. “Vice-chancellors across the country must learn from this dispute and realise that wherever they try to make staff pay the price for financial mismanagement and a failed funding model, we will organise relentlessly to defend jobs and protect student provision.”
‘Workloads will be high’
Emma Jackson, former director of the Centre for Urban and Community at Goldsmiths, said that while she was “delighted for the 14 people whose jobs this will save”, more than 60 academics—including herself— had already taken redundancy “as we were told it was that or be made redundant”.
“A win for the union is that the senior management team have agreed not to carry out any compulsory redundancies next academic year, so at least those who are staying have a year without that hanging over their head,” she said.
“However, in my former department of sociology, over 50 per cent of staff have been made redundant and workloads will be very high for remaining staff.”
‘Difficult times’
A spokesperson for Goldsmiths said: “These are difficult times for universities, and we are doing everything we can to protect what makes Goldsmiths a special and unique place. We recognise the important role our campus unions play in this and will continue working with them for the good of our students and staff.”
By Chris Parr
Image: mikecphoto, via Shutterstock
Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London, have called off strike action after the institution ruled out further compulsory redundancies—but one former employee has said the damage has already been done in some departments.
On Friday the UCU said continuous strike action due to start on 23 September would not take place, after an agreement was reached with university managers. Multiple strikes have already taken place at the South London campus.
The UCU said the agreement guarantees that 14 staff at risk of compulsory redundancy will now keep their jobs, and that no staff will be made compulsorily redundant during the 2024-25 academic year. A planned marking and assessment boycott has also been cancelled, it added.
‘Hard-won agreement’
Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, said that by taking sustained industrial action, union members had “not only protected many more jobs, as well as courses, they have also saved an institution that was in danger of burning down its own house”.
“This hard-won agreement is a testament to their strength,” she said. “Vice-chancellors across the country must learn from this dispute and realise that wherever they try to make staff pay the price for financial mismanagement and a failed funding model, we will organise relentlessly to defend jobs and protect student provision.”
‘Workloads will be high’
Emma Jackson, former director of the Centre for Urban and Community at Goldsmiths, said that while she was “delighted for the 14 people whose jobs this will save”, more than 60 academics—including herself— had already taken redundancy “as we were told it was that or be made redundant”.
“A win for the union is that the senior management team have agreed not to carry out any compulsory redundancies next academic year, so at least those who are staying have a year without that hanging over their head,” she said.
“However, in my former department of sociology, over 50 per cent of staff have been made redundant and workloads will be very high for remaining staff.”
‘Difficult times’
A spokesperson for Goldsmiths said: “These are difficult times for universities, and we are doing everything we can to protect what makes Goldsmiths a special and unique place. We recognise the important role our campus unions play in this and will continue working with them for the good of our students and staff.”
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