Florence Sweeney said Goldsmiths University fine art strike disruption has left many Master of Fine Art students with virtually no teaching so far this term, and a group is now seeking remuneration from Goldsmiths, University of London. The part-time student made the call after a gathering of unhappy students on Friday.
The dispute has entered its 21st week, with 10 out of the 12 usual tutors on the Master of Fine Art course on strike. Sweeney said there had been “virtually no teaching” so far this term for many of the fine arts students, and added: “Not only has it been a financial drain, but I can see my cohort are very distressed and anxious, and some are depressed by what’s going on”.
Joe Newman on Goldsmiths UCU
Joe Newman, Goldsmiths UCU branch co-president, said members had gone on indefinite strike since early June after a marking boycott began in April over proposed job cuts. He said: “We’ve resisted as much as we can over the last two rounds of restructuring and redundancies. But right now, the scale of the action that we are taking is in response to the unprecedented scale and speed of the cuts management are pursuing.”
Newman also said students “have more in common with staff on precarious contracts than with senior managers on six-figure salaries” and said they “are just aghast”.
Goldsmiths, University of London response
Goldsmiths, University of London said around 8.5% of its staff were on strike and that most students were unaffected. The university said it had offered significant compromises to the union.
That leaves the compensation demand at the center of the dispute. Students affected by the disrupted teaching are asking Goldsmiths to make good on the learning they say they have lost, while the university’s position keeps the argument over disruption and pay deductions unresolved.
Goldsmiths has also been under financial pressure in recent years, and the institution is known for former students including Steve McQueen, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst. For now, the practical issue for fine art students is straightforward: whether the university will provide compensation for a term that many of them say has barely started in class.
