More than a thousand people joined the picket line at Goldsmiths, University of London, on Tuesday 23 November.
The event marked the beginning of Goldsmiths UCU’s planned 3-weeks of strike action. At midday, a rally formed outside the Richard Hoggart Building in New Cross, drawing large numbers of Goldsmiths staff, students and members of other organisations.
On November 4, members of the UCU at Goldsmiths voted to take industrial action in response to planned redundancies by senior management.
As Raven News reported last week, Goldsmiths is one of 37 higher education institutions around the UK undergoing strikes this month, over pay, pensions and working conditions.
Feyzi Ismail, Lecturer and Co-Branch Secretary of Goldsmiths UCU, was the first to address the rally. “For all the people that work here, all the people that study here, all the people that have studied here – this is an amazing show of solidarity!” she said.
John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, opened his speech to the crowd by saying: “I’m here, very simply, in absolute solidarity with the action you are taking.”
Proud to join @GoldsmithsUCU and students at strike rally this morning. Campaigning to save jobs & to uphold the excellent educational opportunities the staff at the university provide. Solidarity. #GoldStrike https://t.co/JOKE9Q5OSW
— John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellMP) November 23, 2021
The former Shadow Chancellor was critical of Goldsmiths’ plan to make 52 redundancies, as part of a broader restructure. He continued by saying ,“It is not a corporation, it is an education institute.”
Jacob Mukherjee, a lecturer at Goldsmiths and Co-Branch Secretary of Goldsmiths UCU
Jacob Mukherjee, Lecturer in the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, said the job cut plan was partly based on conditional loans from Lloyds Bank and NatWest.
“We don’t think it’s right that people are going to be laid off during a pandemic at the behest of big financial institutions,” Mukherjee, who is also Co-Branch Secretary for Goldsmiths UCU, told Raven News.
He pointed out that Goldsmiths are paying consultants like KPMG £1.6 million, and paying senior managers six-figure salaries, then they can afford to keep 52 workers.
“I hope they will see that this plan is going to cost them far more in terms of reputational damage… than it will for them to get back round the negotiating table,” he said.
Nevenka Martin, Business Manager in the Department of History, appreciated the support for professional services staff in the fight against the restructure: “It’s really great to see people coming out in numbers and sticking together.”
Nevenka is one of the professional services staff who received an email from senior management saying that her role would be “deleted”.
Sara Bafo, President of Goldsmiths Students Union being photobombed by John McDonnell MP
Sara Bafo, President of Goldsmiths’ Student Union, was participating in the rally with other students in support of the strike.
During her speech she said: “If students and staff do not act now, more staff will be made redundant and more student-facing services will be cut. This is just the beginning.”
The current plan includes redundancies of 20 academics in English & Creative Writing and History and 32 professional services staff.
Students taking those courses were worried, particularly those on the MA Black British History.
As Mukerhgee pointed out in his closing speech, lecturers in Black History at Goldsmiths were hit with the threat of redundancy in October, which was also Black History Month.”
Tara Povey, Co-President of Goldsmiths UCU, said senior management refused to negotiate in good faith with the union branch until they took strike action: “We don’t want to be in this position of having to take strike action, and that’s why we have attended every single negotiating meeting.”
The hashtag #GoldStrike was trending on Twitter in the UK on the first day of the strike.
Teaching is set to resume on Tuesday 14 December 2021, but the strike can be called off at any time if Goldsmiths’ management make a satisfactory offer to the union.