Goldsmiths strike called off as compulsory redundancies cancelled

Union members at Goldsmiths, University of London have called off planned strike action and a marking boycott after reaching an agreement with managers over redundancies. 

Members of the University and College Union at Goldsmiths were due to take continuous strike action from 23 September after 97 members of staff were handed redundancy notices. Staff had already taken 10 days of strike action on top of an ongoing marking boycott. 

However, the university has now confirmed that no compulsory redundancies will be made following a series of “very positive” talks at the Acas mediation service throughout the summer, and that it will make no further compulsory redundancies in 2024-25. 

Some 62 staff agreed to take enhanced severance pay, which the university stressed was above statutory redundancy pay, 17 staff were redeployed across the university, and a further 18 were saved from redundancy after the university agreed to lower its savings targets.

A university spokesperson 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.”

Goldsmiths had previously warned in April that it was expecting a £13.1 million shortfall against forecast tuition fee revenues in 2024, making up about 11 per cent of its entire budget. It also claimed it was currently spending 62 per cent of its expenditure on staffing costs compared with the UK sector average of 43 per cent, which it said was “unaffordable and unsustainable”. 

However, staff and celebratory backers warned that the cuts threatened the university’s reputation as a “radical” institution, with its black British history, black British literature and queer history courses all put at risk from the redundancies. 

Writing on X, Goldsmiths UCU said: “The jobs of those remaining have been hard-won by the sheer resolve of members’ fight. The strength of our action – holding the line with the marking and assessment boycott, showing up for strike action and the looming indefinite strike – brought management to the negotiating table.”

Union members at Sheffield Hallam University announced this week that they will take four days of strike action in September, which had been due to coincide with strikes at Goldsmiths.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com