UCU, a union representing researchers and teaching staff, have planned strike action to commence at Winchester University. 

The strikes are set for March 21 and 22, with strikes having taken place on March 16, 17 and 20.

Members are demanding a fair pay deal, action on equality gaps, elimination of casualisation and action on workloads. 

Rose Holyoak, communications officer, and senior lecturer in sociology, said: “Our pay has been decreased by 25 per cent over the last decade. But we’re striking partly for our pay, it’s much bigger than that. It’s about thinking what we want higher education to be, what we want our higher education to be for our students. 

“At the moment, the way that we’re work loaded, both at this university but across the sector, means that our students are not getting the experience that they should do. 

“I want to give my students the experience they deserve. I want to be able to be there to support them as a personal tutor, as a lecturer, I want to be able to spend enough time on their assignment’s so I can give them detailed and valuable feedback.” 

Eli Jones, liberal arts second year student, feels ‘outraged’ and said: “I’m on a course that’s been cut, I’m taught by professor’s that have been made redundant, I’m outraged by how they’ve been treated, and they deserve so much better than what they’re getting. 

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“We’ve written open letters, we’ve demonstrated on campus, we have reached out to our faculties, professors, management but at every turn we’ve been ignored and completely disregarded, it’s very sad.”

Gordon Mckelvie, branch chair for Winchester UCU, said: “Students at Winchester have been very supportive of us during the strike action, we would encourage students to write to universities to show support to the strikes, show solidarity, they don’t have to smash up the place, we’re not looking for that, but just give a demonstration of support. 

“We welcome any support, ultimately staff working conditions are student learning conditions, the better we’re treated the better you’re educated."

A University of Winchester spokesman said: “The university does not have any direct control over this national dispute and hopes an agreement can be reached with the UCU soon to minimise further impact to students.”