Staff at Goldsmiths University of London began an indefinite strike on Monday, escalating a dispute over job losses and cost-cutting measures. The University College Union (UCU) has reported that 269 professional services staff and academics are at risk of redundancy, representing more than one in five of the workforce. Further academic cuts are expected from September.
Third round of redundancies in five years
The union claims this is the third wave of redundancies at Goldsmiths within the last five years, despite nearly £24 million being saved in the previous two rounds. The latest job cuts have sparked outrage among staff and union representatives, who argue that the university is prioritising financial savings over education and employment stability.
Union action and university response
The UCU initially took industrial action on April 27 by refusing to mark work and assessments in an effort to protect jobs. In response, the university imposed 100 per cent wage reductions on participating staff, even if they continued other duties such as teaching, research, and recruitment. The union described this as a “lockout” and stated that staff facing these “brutal deductions” would refuse to work.
A Goldsmiths spokesperson called the strike action “deeply disappointing,” warning that it threatens to significantly impact students’ ability to graduate. The spokesperson said: “We have a statutory and moral duty to ensure our students progress, including through marking and assessment. Given the significant impact of strike action on our students and their progress, we believe it is appropriate to make 100 per cent deductions for partial or full withdrawal of labour.”
The university has implemented a range of measures to support students during the strike and assured them in an email that all activities are still scheduled to proceed as planned this term.
Union leaders and supporters speak out
UCU Goldsmiths co-president Joe Newman stated that the boycott was “lawful action to protect jobs, courses and student provision.” General secretary Jo Grady urged the university to “lift this threat and begin working with us so we can resolve this dispute and allow students to learn and graduate.”
Michael Rosen, author and professor of children’s literature at Goldsmiths, publicly supported the strike, sharing posts on X from protesters with the UCU.
