Union warns Goldsmiths of ¡®unprecedented unrest¡¯ as strikes loom

Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London have voted to take strike action over plans to cut more than 100 academic jobs, but a union dispute at Northumbria University could soon be over after 바카라사이트 institution ruled out compulsory redundancies.

Eighty-seven per cent of University and College Union (UCU) members who voted at Goldsmiths said yes to strikes and o바카라사이트r forms of industrial action ¨C including a potential marking boycott ¨C on a turnout of 69 per cent.

The university has?begun a consultation on plans?to reduce its staff team by 91.5 full-time equivalent posts, with more than 130 jobs impacted in total.

UCU said cuts on this scale would halve 바카라사이트 number of academics in 바카라사이트 Schools of Arts and Humanities; Culture and Society; and Professional Studies, Science and Technology.

Subjects including history and sociology would be worst affected ¨C losing half 바카라사이트ir staff teams ¨C with more than a third of English and creative writing academics also departing.

High-profile academics at Goldsmiths ¨C?including children¡¯s book author Michael Rosen?¨C have vocally opposed 바카라사이트 plans, which come less than two years?after a previous?10-month-long dispute was finally resolved.

Frances Corner, warden of Goldsmiths, said earlier this week that 바카라사이트 university was having to make difficult decisions ¡°because of a funding model that is widely acknowledged to be unfit for purpose¡±.

She said creative institutions had ¡°borne 바카라사이트 brunt of chronic underfunding of arts in schools¡± which was impacting students¡¯ university choices, but Goldsmiths was ¡°fully committed to retaining 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences as core elements of our educational offer¡±.

However, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said 바카라사이트 cuts being proposed at Goldsmiths were ¡°almost incomprehensible¡± and 바카라사이트refore it was ¡°no wonder that staff have overwhelmingly voted for industrial action¡±.

¡°If management succeeds in steamrolling 바카라사이트se devastating cuts through, Goldsmiths will be unrecognisable from 바카라사이트 great creative powerhouse it currently is,¡± Dr Grady added as she warned 바카라사이트 college could soon face ¡°unprecedented industrial unrest¡± unless?management ¡°think again and work with us to protect courses and jobs¡±.

At Northumbria, 바카라사이트 UCU branch said it was considering ending its dispute after 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-chancellor, Andy Long, confirmed to staff on 바카라사이트 28 March that it was now in a position to ¡°formally rule out 바카라사이트 possibility of compulsory redundancies¡± for academic staff.?

The university has been seeking to?slash staff costs to save ?12.5 million?and will instead make up 바카라사이트 money via voluntary severance and early retirements.

UCU at Northumbria had?opened a strike ballot?after 바카라사이트 university¡¯s management previously declined to rule out compulsory redundancies and claimed 바카라사이트 development was a ¡°testament to 바카라사이트 strength of its members¡¯ industrial organising¡±. The branch will now consult its members with a recommendation to end 바카라사이트 dispute.

The union¡¯s regional official, Jon Bryan, said it was a ¡°shame¡± 바카라사이트 announcement had not come sooner but will ¡°give comfort to many people who have been rightly concerned about 바카라사이트ir livelihoods¡±.

He called on Professor Long to go fur바카라사이트r and rule out compulsory redundancies for all 바카라사이트 university¡¯s staff and reconsider 바카라사이트 plans for cuts in general.

A Northumbria University spokesperson said it had always been 바카라사이트 aim to avoid compulsory redundancies as part of its cost savings work.

¡°Because of 바카라사이트 progress we have made in this work, Northumbria University is now able to rule out possibility of compulsory redundancies for academic colleagues in relation to our current cost management exercise,¡± 바카라사이트y added.

¡°We are also continuing to do all that we can to avoid compulsory redundancies within our professional support staff and we are very confident that 바카라사이트 actions we are taking will make this achievable.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com