[IF you are a colleague in TAP you can add your support by emailing p.karantonis@gold.ac.uk]
The Department of Theatre and Performance recognises that its ALs, GTTs and colleagues on FTC are a critical component of course delivery, and that the Department could not meet its obligations to students without them.
The Department supports colleagues across the College currently withdrawing from marking, in lieu of outstanding payments due to them, for work undertaken since lockdown, and in protest at the unfair and inequitable treatment they have received in the blanket refusal to furlough ALs and GTTs while offering it to some permanent staff.
We are devastated at the treatment and potential loss of such an essential and valued part of the Goldsmiths community.
In addition, we have serious concerns with regards to the impact of such a decision on the workload, equalities and contractual terms and conditions of permanent members of staff in this Department.
Already many colleagues are struggling with the additional hours and caring responsibilities that have accompanied new working conditions under Covid-19 and the move to online teaching and professional services work.
As such these threatened and actual drastic cuts, to the College’s ALs, GTTs and FTC colleagues is reckless. Not only does this devastate the staff immediately affected, but it signals both potential harm to the conditions of remaining staff and damage to the quality of provision we will offer to students.
This Department calls for:
- Immediate honouring of payments across the College for all additional work done by AL/GTTs/FTFC
- Extension of AL/GTT/FTC contracts and furlough to be made available to all (rather than excluded on the basis of contract type)
- Full consultation on budget decisions related to staffing based on financial transparency
- Assessment of redundancy impact with proper and meaningful consultation with Union representatives both at Departmental and College-wide level
- Publication and distribution of all risk assessments that have been undertaken in relation to Health and Safety
- Publication and distribution of an impact statement in relation to Equalities
In the meantime, permanent members of staff in the Department may exercise the option to protect themselves against a workload risk and stress that has been identified as unacceptably high, which may impact an unanticipated marking load.
To underline this, GUCU Health and Safety and Departmental Reps have cautioned salaried colleagues about taking on any extra work at short notice, due to any casualised colleagues not receiving payment for extra work done, while we investigate this unacceptably high risk further.