mass support during the first round of action last month (Picture: Guy Smallman)
University workers at Goldsmiths university took to picket lines on Monday to save jobs.
Bosses’ “restructuring” plans would cut 32 staff in professional services. They also put the jobs of 20 academics in the English and creative writing and history departments at risk.
A deal with Lloyds Bank and Natwest bank committed the university to making £4 million of staff cuts in 2021 and £2 million this year.
Strikers, supporters and students joined a strike rally on Monday morning. This action follows three weeks of strikes by UCU members at the end of last year. Tamar, whose job is at risk, told the rally, “This is the first step of a massive restructuring at Goldsmiths.
“More broadly this is a fight against higher education being seen as a product, where universities make students take on massive debt.
“This is a fight for free education, and for an education where we can explore ideas.”
Co-vice president of Goldsmiths UCU, Tara Povey, added that the bosses and banks are demanding staff cuts. “The university hired KPMG as a cooperate consultant, which demanded staff cuts. This is why we are striking, and why we are so angry.”
Tara added, “We took an unprecedented 21 days of strikes last year. We came together and we’ll continue to fight.”
Donate to the strike fund at goldsmithsucu.org
University workers at the Royal College of Art (RCA) have voted to strike in a dispute over workloads, conditions, precarious work and low pay.
Members of the UCU union members for five days from Monday of next week again on 28 February.
And they plan another four days from Tuesday 1 March.
Most of these dates coincide with national strikes called by the UCU. They follow 14 days of solid strikes last year.
Donate to the strike fund at raucu.com
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Another year of inaction from our rulers
