Passed with 87.5% in favour (70 votes in favour, 2 against, 8 abstentions) at GUCU branch 01.04.2022
Goldsmiths UCU Branch Motion
Proposed: Jacob Love (MCCS), Seconder: Robert Gordon (TAP)
THIS BRANCH:
NOTES
That SMT’s financial rationale for 46 compulsory redundancies is no longer valid due to 127 staff departures and the reporting of a surplus for 2021/22,
Despite these circumstances, SMT are refusing to negotiate on compulsory redundancies,
The current redundancies are a first-round in an ongoing restructure that will see further cuts and this must be resisted,
The inflexibility of SMT is damaging students’ education by prolonging an unnecessary dispute – the financial rationale no longer exists and no new rationale has been offered,
SMT do not care about the suffering of students – this is clearly evidenced both in their intransigence and in the fact that they refuse to put strike deductions into the student hardship fund, which is a long-standing custom at Goldsmiths.
BELIEVES
That industrial action and strike action is most effective when it involves the maximum number of UCU members.
That industrial action, including strike action, while always impacting on students, is most effective when it impacts directly on SMT and their institutional priorities and processes.
Strike action in induction week and early in the autumn has significant impact and is truly collective.
RESOLVES:
If there is no movement from SMT in negotiations over redundancies and the restructure, or should SMT decide to deduct salary punitively for ASOS, strike action will be called to take place in Induction Week (23 September – 30 September), in order to maximise both participation and the impact on SMT (if the branch votes Yes in the forthcoming ballot for further strike action).
A further week of strike action from October 2 – 7 may also be called should SMT continue to refuse to negotiate on the restructure, respond punitively to our ASOS action, or push the start of term forward a week by removing reading week.
If any of the decisions made by SMT require action beyond what is stated in these resolutions, including strike action, the branch members will be consulted and will vote on a change in strategy.