University strike protester in clash with student

Claim of assault at Sussex academic building as lecturers start two-day walkout over pensions

STRIKES by university lecturers turned violent yesterday as protesters stormed an academic building to demand that students in the lecture theatre join the walkout. A demonstrator was allegedly attacked by a student during a clash at Sussex University’s Jubilee Building in Brighton, where a psychology lecture was taking place.

Sussex Supports the Strike group said on Facebook: “One of our marchers was assaulted by a student when we disrupted the lecture. The marcher in question was violently tackled into a wooden table by another student.”

Joanna Pawlik, an art history lecturer at the university, told The Daily Telegraph: “We’ve had a lot of support from the students. We don’t like the way the pensions situation is being imposed on us, which is why we have taken this action.”

A group of protesters gained access to the Universities UK (UUK) headquarters in central London, where they staged a sit-in.

A spokesman for UUK, the vicechancellor membership body, said that a “good-natured group” of around 16 people entered the building at around 11.30am yesterday.

Lecturers at 57 universities – including Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, Durham and Exeter – took the first of a series of days of industrial action at campuses yesterday, in a row over changes to staff pensions, which they say could make them £10,000 worse off each year in retirement.

More universities will join the walk out as strikes continue over the coming weeks.

More than a million students could face disruption if the full 14 days of strikes go ahead as planned, as half a million teaching hours will be lost.

Sam Gyimah, the universities minister, urged the University and College Union (UCU), which represents lecturers and campus staff, and UUK to get back to the negotiating table, saying he was “deeply concerned” about the impact strikes will have on students.

Meanwhile, Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, urged lecturers to “get back to work”, adding that “people need to get their degrees”.

Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, tweeted in support of lecturers breaking the picket lines and carrying out their classes as usual, saying: “I salute you.” Yesterday, the head of Newcastle University became the latest vice-chancellor to break ranks and announce his support for the strikers.

Prof Chris Day said he did not know “what else they could do to express their concerns about the situation”.

Three in five students back the strikers, according to a Yougov poll conducted on the eve of the walkout.

Sally Hunt, the UCU general secretary, said academic staff have been “overwhelmed” by the support they have received from students.