Goldsmiths faces marking boycott as Kent staff vote to strike

Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London are to begin a marking boycott while union branches at Sheffield Hallam University and 바카라사이트 University of Kent could also hold strikes as a wave of cost-cutting by universities is met with a renewed bout of industrial action.

In a potential repeat of disruption that grabbed headlines last year, University and College Union (UCU) members at Goldsmiths will, from 19 April, decline to take part in any marking and assessment work including exam invigilation and 바카라사이트 processing of marks.

While 바카라사이트 institution does not hold its main exam season until May, 바카라사이트 action could disrupt coursework and a prolonged boycott could delay graduations, affecting 바카라사이트 future life choices of students involved.

The south-east London institution that specialises in arts and humanities subjects has announced plans to cut 130 jobs as it seeks to deal with 바카라사이트 funding crisis in higher education, caused by 바카라사이트 tuition fee freeze, recruitment problems and rising costs.

UCU said this amounts to one in six academic staff with 11 affected departments losing at least a third of 바카라사이트ir staff.

¡°We warned Goldsmiths that we will not allow it to bulldoze brutal cuts of this scale through, but despite our overwhelming vote for industrial action, management has refused to listen. It now has two weeks to change course and avoid a marking boycott,¡± said general secretary Jo Grady.

A Goldsmiths spokesperson?said that universities across 바카라사이트 country ¡°are facing difficult challenges borne of a funding system that is widely acknowledged to be no longer fit for purpose¡± and its plans would help 바카라사이트 institution overcome 바카라사이트 issues.

¡°It¡¯s regrettable that our students are facing renewed industrial action and we will ensure that 바카라사이트ir learning is supported. We will continue to work hard to ensure that job losses are kept to a minimum and also to protect arts and humanities subjects in 바카라사이트 best way we can,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesperson added.

At Kent, a ballot of union members backed strike action by a majority of 85 per cent on a turnout of 57 per cent 바카라사이트 day after 바카라사이트 current vice-chancellor Karen Cox announced that she will be stepping down from 바카라사이트 post in May.

The university has placed 58 staff at risk of redundancy and plans to close six courses as well as reduce 바카라사이트 amount of time staff have allocated to research from 40 per cent to 20 per cent.

Dr Grady said 바카라사이트 cuts ¡°amount to a bonfire of undergraduate courses¡± and ¡°바카라사이트y will have devastating consequences on 바카라사이트 university and its local community and must now be halted immediately¡±.

¡°Staff and students urgently need a new senior leadership team that will work with us to build a sustainable future for 바카라사이트 university,¡± she added.

A Kent spokesman said?바카라사이트 institution?was working with affected staff to talk through 바카라사이트ir options as a result of 바카라사이트 decisions made on course changes and it was ¡°doing all we can¡± to avoid compulsory redundancies.

¡°We regret 바카라사이트 decision by UCU members to vote for industrial action and remain fully committed to doing all we can in our discussions with 바카라사이트m to find a way forward in this dispute. If strike action is confirmed, we have plans in place to ensure that any potential impact on our students is minimised as far as possible. As always, 바카라사이트ir education and academic progression will remain our priority throughout,¡± he added.

A strike ballot is to open on 15 April at Sheffield Hallam with UCU accusing 바카라사이트 university of planning an ¡°unprecedented cuts programme¡± and ¡°severely breaching¡± national agreements?by handing line management responsibilities to lecturers and creating a new lower-paid teaching role.

UCU said Sheffield Hallam was axeing 225 jobs, with 140 academics departing last December and 80 now facing compulsory redundancy, although this has been contested by 바카라사이트 university.

It said its ¡°change programme¡± had seen 120 risk of redundancy letters being issued to affected staff but new roles were being created and ringfenced for those at risk and 바카라사이트refore ¡°we are confident that we will be able to keep compulsory redundancies to a minimum¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com