Goldsmiths UCU

See below a pic from our fantastic member whose ballot came late. Today, they went to Civica HQ personally to hand it in 😭💗

TODAY IS THE LAST SAFE DAY TO POST YOUR BALLOT!

TOMORROW (26/11) — The second equalities drop-in of the term will happen online from 10-12 (link in 📧). All GUCU members facing equalities-related issues at work (and particularly those with protected characteristics) are welcome to come by and chat in confidence with our wonderful Equalities team.

6/The success of any future negotiations with the Executive Board over alternatives to cuts depends on our ability to demonstrate credible industrial action. So post your ballot today!
Every vote strengthens us.

5/ With possible local action ahead against another round of redundancies, it’s especially important we show our strength as a branch by getting this ballot over the threshold.

4/That’s why a strong YES/YES vote with turnout well above 50% is crucial. It shows Goldsmiths SMT & Council — and the national employer + Labour govt — that our union is organised and ready to fight for a new funding model and better pay & conditions for all university workers.

3/The local and national contexts are connected.
The situation at Goldsmiths is made worse by the wider crisis across the sector.

2/While the ballot is national, the last few weeks have focused our branch on the financial situation at Goldsmiths, with the announcement of an £11.7 million budgetary deficit after years of mismanagement.

‼️📮This is your reminder that tomorrow (Wed 26 Nov) is the last day to safely return your postal ballot in the national dispute. 🧵Here’s why this dispute matters for us at Goldsmiths:

Northumbria Pay and Pension Petition: Stop the Steal! If Northumbria does this, other universities will too.  These cuts will harm thousands of people, their students, families, and their local communities now and into the future.

Support @ucunorthumbria.bsky.social fight to save their TPS
pensions! www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/no...

We are the University HE replacement ballot request / I've voted form This form allows UCU higher education members to request a replacement ballot for the 2025 HE industrial action ballots, or to self-report that they have already voted.

⌛️🗳️REMINDER that the deadline for requesting a replacement ballot is this Sunday 23 NOVEMBER 2025! yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/wearetheu...

Get your tix! ♥️🍉

luma.com/5ymk9hud

Solidarity Screening today! 🎥✨
Featuring An Orange from Jaffa & ضو – Light, followed by a Q&A with director Ahmad Abu Monshar + GOLD SU’s Shada Abdalqader.

📍 RHB Cinema
🕕 Fri 21 Nov, from 6PM
💸 Pay-what-you-can (all funds to Palestinian Student Fundraiser)

Snacks welcome! ♥️🍉

luma.com/5ymk9hud

We are the University HE replacement ballot request / I've voted form This form allows UCU higher education members to request a replacement ballot for the 2025 HE industrial action ballots, or to self-report that they have already voted.

⌛️🗳️REMINDER that the deadline for requesting a replacement ballot is this Sunday 23 NOVEMBER 2025! yoursay.ucu.org.uk/s3/wearetheu...

As our in-person meetings have shown us, together we have the knowledge and determination to build a confident, strong and active collective ready for whatever comes next. So come along and help build your branch!

We must push back against the narrative that more cuts will do anything but damage our institution. But we’ve fought off restructures before, and we can do it again — and better.

Beyond horrific that we’re here again. Too many colleagues have lost their jobs to pay for top-down mismanagement, while the same people keep making the same disastrous decisions. Once again, Campus Connect showed how unserious and unstrategic management’s plans are.

NEXT THURSDAY: After last week’s £11m+ deficit announcement, we are coming together again in in-person, all-staff meeting. We should not be where we are, and we must be clear about who is responsible for this mess — and that more cuts are not the way out. 🕐 1–2pm 📍 RHB 300

Happening tomorrow (Wed 19/11)! Join our Health & Safety team for an Invisible Work workshop. How can we make invisible/unrecognised/unpaid work visible and accounted for? How do we protect ourselves from it?
🕒 3–4:30pm, in person — room details in your 📧.

REMINDER! WHY WE VOTE YES/YES:

Have you voted yet? There are 10 days left before the ballot closes (28/11) — and the last safe day to post your ballot is 26/11! As we look ahead to possible local action, it’s important to show our strength and win this ballot! #WeAreTheUniversity #UCU

This Wed (12/11) the first Campus Connect since Frances Corner’s removal will take place — something might be moving, and we must be prepared. Make sure you’re signed up and in the room!
Then join us for:
🕓 Branch meeting: 4–5PM (in-person)
🎉 Branch social at the SU: 6PM onwards
Room details in📧

Have you voted yet? Window to request a ballot replacement closes on 23/11, and ballot ends on 26/11. Useful links and timeline here: www.ucu.org.uk/WeAreTheUniv...
Don't wait for the last minute, and post your ballot 📩💗

Managers cite concern for students in everything they do, but never actually prioritise student opinion or voices in any of their decision making. They do irreparable harm to student courses and turn around to staff and ask: ‘right: how can we improve student satisfaction and recruitment?’

Being disabled shouldn’t mean you’re on a lower wage, or that you’re afraid to ask for support at work because it could hit you financially.

Having a reasonable adjustment should never lead to a pay cut.

But this is what’s happening to some UCU staff right now.

Short 🧵

Every conversation helps us get there.
💌 Talk to your colleagues. Get the vote out. #WeAreTheUniversity
#GTVO #UCU

The strongest possible turnout in this ballot could provide us with the quickest possible route to a trade dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over the funding model in Higher Education.

UCU are demanding a moratorium on redundancies and course/department closures, in acknowledgement of the challenges local branches are facing.

All 5 unions in HE are being balloted this time, not just UCU. But if we don’t get across the turnout threshold, we have no leverage at all.

Not sure how to talk to your colleagues about the UCU national ballot? Here’s our top 3 reasons to vote YES/YES: