This motion was passed at GUCU Branch Meeting, Monday September 11 2023
This branch notes that:
- UCU’s national Marking and Assessment Boycott (MAB), in place since April, ended on Wednesday 6 September;
- the impact of the MAB at Goldsmiths has been substantial and many students are still without marks;
- deductions have already been taken for the equivalent of 2.5 days (2.5/365 of salary) in June from August’s pay, with more deductions planned from October’s pay for action taken in August;
- many members are already labouring under excessively high workloads which will be particularly acute at the beginning of term, and late summer resits and MA dissertations have now been added to marking loads on top of previously outstanding marking;
- while the MAB is over, ASOS continues and the dispute remains live, with the national union calling for further action in September and a new ballot;
- while staff cannot refuse to carry out reasonable management requests to complete marking, staff are under no obligation to work excessively beyond their contracted hours.
This branch believes that:
- under regular working conditions (and especially with ASOS in place), it is likely to take months to clear existing marking backlogs alongside other essential work duties;
- outside of a MAB and ASOS, UCU’s research shows that the vast majority of staff are often working well beyond their contracted hours to complete marking, in the interests of students and colleagues;
- this demonstrates an extraordinary level of commitment and goodwill, but is contingent upon a sense of being fairly treated and respected by their employers;
- at a minimum, such fair treatment requires the employer not to make use of coercive measures to discourage and/or punish legitimate industrial action, such as the deduction or withholding of pay;
- an orderly and equitable return-to-work agreement, including the return/cancellation of deductions, would be sufficient to restore a commitment on the part of UCU members to completing outstanding marking within a reasonable but efficient timeframe, and would be in the best interests of staff, students and management.
This branch resolves:
- to seek a return-to-work agreement with the employer that would see the restoration of already deducted pay and cancellation of planned future deductions in respect of the MAB, in exchange for a commitment on the part of GUCU members to do everything reasonably within their power to complete current and outstanding marking in the fastest possible timeframe, and to minimise further detriment to students or Goldsmiths.