UNIONS at Goldsmith University took strike action against an employer that “won’t listen” as workers stood up against 46 redundancies caused by a massive staff restructuring.

The University and College Lecturers Union (UCU) and Unison took the first of three days of joint strike action today against a major restructuring programme by the university that leaves workers having to compete against each other for their jobs.

Unison member Jo Dodd, a senior administrator in the English department, who has worked at the university for 19 years, said: “This is the first time I have ever been on strike” and it’s because management “won’t listen.”

Ms Dodd said: “I received an email telling me that my job had been deleted and that I would have to be matched to one, meaning I have to work a lot more for the same pay.”

UCU co-president Tara Povey said that she believed the 46 proposed redundancies were the first part of a cuts plan by the university.

Ms Povey said: “If this strike doesn’t bring the university to the table for further negotiations we will take more action until they do.”

Supporting the picket line, poet Michael Rosen, who teaches at the university, said that bankers were now the main part of the senior “mismanagement team of the university” and were “making all the major decisions” rather than academics.

Ramona McCartney from the People’s Assembly, Andy Hopping from the CWU and Paula Peters from Disabled People Against Cuts all spoke to the picket line.

The current round of strikes are set to continue until March 4.

A spokesperson for Goldsmith University told the Morning Star that it needs to save £9 million next year and said it has repeatedly invited Goldsmiths UCU and Goldsmiths Unison to join the college at Acas for talks.