Solidarity Rally for UCU Goldsmiths
7pm Thursday 9th December 2021
Goldsmiths Senior Management Team (SMT) is planning mass staff redundancies across departments this term, including 52 jobs this year: 20 academics in English & Creative Writing and History, and 32 professional services staff, as part of a wider scheme of redundancies to be rolled out over two years. These cuts risk causing chaos and harming student experience.
Senior management claim these cuts are required due to a deal that was struck with Lloyds Bank and NatWest bank, negotiated by the consultancy firm KPMG, committing to £4million of staff cuts this year followed by £2million next year.
In response to the threat of mass redundancies, Goldsmiths UCU members have been taking 15 days of strike action, 23rd November 23rd – 13th December.
As the first three days of national strikes over USS and Four Fights come to an end, and the new ballots begin in branches which fell short of the threshold, we need to build the maximum possible support for the fight at Goldsmiths.
The Goldsmiths dispute is nothing less than a battle for the future of Higher Education. We cannot allow the banks to decide how our universities should be run and which courses should be funded. This meeting will hear from staff who face redundancy and discuss the magnificent campaign that activists have organised in defence of their jobs.
Speakers:
- Mike Rosen (Author, lecturer at Goldsmiths)
- Tara Povey (Joint President, Goldsmiths UCU)
- Paula Ktorides (professional staff member at Goldsmiths facing redundancy)
- Jon Trickett (MP)
- Larissa Kennedy (President, NUS)
- Vicky Blake (President, UCU)
- Peta Bulmer (President, University of Liverpool UCU)
You can also find out more and support the strike fund here: https://goldsmithsucu.org/donations/strikefund/
UCU Solidarity Movement 