A battle has broken out at Goldsmiths University. Workers are under ruthless attack from senior management. Over 130 academic staff face redundancy this summer. The impact of these cuts will be felt by students also, and even the local community.
Falling student numbers have led to a shortfall in income from fees of £13.1 million compared to the most recent projected budget. Goldsmiths bosses are using this as an excuse to push through a ‘transformation programme’, involving £20 million in savings.
“Staffing costs make up 62% of our expenditure, or £85.7 million,” the university states. “While we recognise the importance of investing in our staff, this level of spend is unaffordable and unsustainable.”
The ‘consultation’ process has been a farce. Management are avoiding speaking directly to their staff at all costs. As Goldsmiths UCU branch secretary Joe Newman said, this is not just about money, but is seen by university bosses as an opportunity to crush the union.
But Goldsmiths UCU are fighting back. A marking boycott has been in effect since April. And this week saw the start of two weeks of continuous strike action.
Staff at @GoldsmithsUoL are 🚫ON STRIKE🚫 from next week!
Join us on campus for a 💪SOLIDARITY RALLY💪 on Tuesday 18/06 at 12pm & remind Goldsmiths’ managers that there is NO Goldsmiths without its WORKERS.
These cuts are #NotADoneDeal! We know it, and so do they. pic.twitter.com/OlOXI2rLYs
— Goldsmiths UCU (@GoldsmithsUCU) June 15, 2024
The campus also has two student occupations on the go: one specifically over Palestinian, demanding divestment from Israel; the other in support of staff, against the ‘transformation programme’.
The budget allocated from central government is clearly not enough to provide high-quality education and suitable working conditions. The money needed to properly fund teaching and learning does exist, however: in the bank accounts of the capitalists and on the balance-sheets of big business.
These are the interests of profit that university management are defending here. To fight them, we have to fight for our class. As Kojo from Black Lives Matter UK told protestors:
“[Senior management] represent a class who hates us. They do not have any interest in the liberation of Palestine. They do not have any interest in the liberation of Black and working-class people in general…We put our faith and trust in workers’ power!”
The struggle to save Goldsmiths, therefore, is above all a class question.
The same process of cuts and attacks is happening in hospitals and in the wider health service, in local councils, and in every other so-called ‘public’ institution in society.
Together, workers have the power to turn this system on its head.
To achieve this, we need to kick out senior management, and the profit motive along with them, and instead put workers and students in control of our universities.
Staff are well aware of this. Kevin Biderman, from University of the Arts London UCU, made this point clearly. “This is real education, right here on the picket line,” he stated. “We, the students and staff: we are the university!”
“Let’s fire management, not frontline staff,” he continued. “Let’s boot out the bosses!”
If only the trade union leaders could articulate the class interests of their members – and of the wider working class – as well as these rank-and-file fighters do!
The RCP echoes these sentiments, and stands in full support of the struggle being waged by workers at Goldsmiths and beyond.
Students and workers – unite and fight!
