notes:
- An unprecedented turnout of 70% in Goldsmiths UCU’s postal ballot on industrial action over proposed redundancies at Goldsmiths, with an overwhelming mandate (86% for strike and 93% for action short of strike) for action for a period of 6 months.
- The above indicates strong opposition to Goldsmiths Management’s threat to make 52 members of staff across the university redundant over the course of the 2021/22 academic year.
- Cuts to staff within English and Creative Writing and the History department will endanger programs such as Black British and Caribbean Literature and Queer and Black British History.
- Goldsmiths’ Management has consistently failed to engage in meaningful consultation or provide fair and reasonable selection criteria for the redundancy process.
- Despite carrying out 3 weeks of strike action, Goldsmiths’ Management has thus far failed to seriously consider GUCU’s demand for alternatives to redundancies.
- At the request of the local branch, UCU national has implemented the censure and academic boycott of Goldsmiths University
believes:
- Cuts to staff within the English and Creative Writing and the History department will endanger a major source of heritage preservation for the community of Lewisham
- The academic community should not endorse an employer that aims to carry out a fire and rehire restructure which will disproportionately impact women and women of colour working within professional services.
- UCU branches and the academic community have a strong platform with which to support this action, save jobs and bring this industrial dispute to an end.
resolves:
- Make a public statement in support of the academic boycott of Goldsmiths using the hashtag #BoycottGoldsmiths
- Observe the parameters of the boycott as laid down in this outline
- Communicate a statement of support of the academic boycott to the senior management team of Goldsmiths.
- Commit to suspending or relocating any events that have been organised at Goldsmiths.