Continuous strike action announced at Goldsmiths

86% of members who took part in the ballot to extend the current industrial action voted in favour, on a turnout of 62%. 

The dispute continues due to devastating cuts the university is set to make, with over 90 members of staff at risk of losing their jobs before the start of the next academic year in September. Originally over 130 staff were going to be made redundant, including more than one in six academics. 

Goldsmiths staff recently took ten days of strike action, which ended on Friday 28 June, and are also engaged in an ongoing marking and assessment boycott, which is causing significant disruption to graduations and student progression. 

Goldsmiths has already been criticised for trying to close groundbreaking courses like Black British literature, Black British History and Queer History and for the impact of its cuts on arts and humanities. UCU has already carried out a global academic boycott of the institution and is calling on members, university workers, trade unionists, and supporters worldwide to boycott the university. 

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'Industrial action on this scale is a last resort but our members have been pushed to breaking point by Goldsmiths' insistence on forcing through its brutal redundancy programme. Management is in danger of turning Goldsmiths into an academic wasteland by slashing jobs and courses.  They must think again, cancel the cuts and work with us to safeguard Goldsmiths' future. If they do not, we will have no choice but to take long term industrial action from September.'