This motion was passed at a GUCU Branch meeting on 10/05/2024
This Branch notes:
- SMT has threatened that any act of partial performance could result in 100% salary deductions.
- SMT will deduct 50% of daily salary in May and June for all staff who do not opt out of the boycott of marking and assessment and Transformation Programme.
- Goldsmiths’ management will use the opt-out system to carry out these deductions.
- SMT will not ‘approve a request for annual leave received after notification of industrial action or retrospectively after industrial action had occurred’.
This Branch believes:
- That the deductions policy is aggressive, disproportionate, and likely unlawful.
- That the deduction policy is designed to undermine the right to challenge the ruination of Goldsmiths that SMT calls the ‘Transformation Programme’ and the threatening of the livelihoods of more than 30 percent of academic staff and future of Goldsmiths.
- That the threat of such disproportionate deductions causes unnecessary additional financial harm to members of staff under threat of redundancy and loss of livelihood, with significant impacts on their health and wellbeing, which abrogates the College’s stated responsibility to treat staff with compassion.
- That much of the ASOS actions are voluntary and to deduct salary on that basis has dubious legality and that the withdrawal of that goodwill is a result of the damage being caused by the continuous and disastrous ‘restructuring’ at Goldsmiths.
- That to punish union members for boycotting the ‘Transformation Programme’ which is supposedly subject to consultation with staff is unacceptable.
- That to ban staff from taking their annual leave during the six months of industrial dispute is an act of aggression and in breach of staff contracts which entitles them to 28 days of annual leave (which is usually taken in the summer) as well as other forms of leave.
- That GUCU needs to respond accordingly and escalate its lawful action.
This Branch resolves:
- To strike for two weeks at the end of June (17 to 28 June) if the threat is not withdrawn immediately and a deduction level agreed with GUCU that accurately reflects the percentage of time marking represents in academic workload, and if management refuses to commit to no compulsory redundancies before Wednesday 22 May
- That any moves to increase the deduction rate for MAB and ASOS will be met with proportionate strike action.