Goldsmiths Strike Set to Become ‘Longest in UK University History’
Por Joshua Carroll — Novara Media
A work stoppage at Goldsmiths, University of London is due to become the longest strike in UK higher education history this week, according to the union organising it.
Staff represented by the Goldsmiths branch of the University and College Union (UCU) went on strike on 8 June in a bid to stop a third round of redundancies in five years amid sweeping cuts.
It followed earlier industrial action in April in which staff stopped marking work. In response, the university docked 100% of the pay of those who took part.
Goldsmiths recently made an offer to staff that vice-chancellor Joanna Newman said involved “significant concessions”. But the union rejected it, arguing that “management are still committed to a series of compulsory redundancies despite the fact that the university has not run a deficit for five years.”
As a result, the strike is expected to become the longest of its kind in UK history on Friday 16 October, surpassing a 129-day work stoppage by staff at the University of Brighton in 2023.
A UCU statement said: “Striking staff have received huge support from students who are bearing the brunt of the disruption caused by the dispute.”
That disruption includes autumn term courses being cancelled or delayed and “replacement staff brought in at the last minute to cover for experienced lecturers,” it added. “Given these developments, students are now raising serious concerns about breaches in regulatory requirements and consumer rights law.”
Last week, Novara Media reported that Goldsmiths had brought in “fake” teachers with little experience for an art psychotherapy course in order to break the strike.
A Goldsmiths spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring students receive first-class teaching, and all our programmes are being taught as scheduled.
“With thousands of new students welcomed by Goldsmiths over the last few weeks, any disruption has been minimised through proactive planning and support for students across all of our programmes.”
Fonte: Novara Media
