More than 50 Aberystwyth University staff members turned out today to strike over pay, conditions and pensions.

Staff and students spoke with the Cambrian News from the roadside outside the university’s Penglais campus.

They lamented stagnating wages, rising workloads, insecure contracts and pension cuts.

Average salaries in the sector are down a quarter in real-terms since 2009, the Universities and College Union (UCU) says.

The strikes are part of a national campaign by the UCU which has organised further action tomorrow and next Wednesday (30 November).

Nationwide, UCU says over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities will walk out on these days – which could affect up to 2.5 million students.

The union’s Aberystwyth branch president, Professor John Gough, said ahead of strikes that the ‘ball is in the universities’ court’ to negotiate and prevent further action.

Mr Gough – a physics lecturer, who has been at the university for 15 years – told us: “Pay conditions haven’t improved in over a decade.

“We’re also striking over pensions which we feel have been stolen from us.

“We are of course a bit conflicted because of the students.

“But, unfortunately, the quality of our working conditions is really what supports their education.

“And without that we’re in dire straits.

“I think we have a lot of the students backing us and it’s great to see the level of turnout from members.”

There has been a long-running dispute between the UCU and the UK universities’ pension provider, USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme).

The union claims that due to incorrect valuations and resulting cuts to pensions, staff will take home 35 per cent less income in retirement.

Masters student at the university, Heddie Hume, told us: “I think people take the student-teacher dynamic and treat it as if we’re two different things but we’re all colleagues.

“I’m a worker, we’re all workers here and we have to look out for each other.

“The fact the workers are standing up for themselves and their pay, you have to stand with them – it’s principle.”

Marketing lecturer Dr Martine Garland: “Unhappy staff are very disrupting in the long term.

“We’re unhappy because of the work we’re expected to do compared to the grade we’re being paid.

“And, quite frankly, we feel exploited.

“Everybody loves Aberystwyth, everybody loves the university – we’re very proud of it and passionate about it.

“We know that thanks to Covid there are significant financial challenges facing all universities including Aberystwyth – and we’re sympathetic to that.

“But there are views that money could be spent in different spaces which involve valuing the staff that are delivering the world-class service that we do for our students – which puts us number one in Wales.”

The union claims due to redundancies and restructures at Aberystwyth, remaining staff are being forced into unpaid overtime to pick up the slack.

As the Cambrian News has reported, UCU Aberystwyth previously suggested that over half of university teaching staff are on zero-hour contracts while the vice-chancellor is paid more than £250,000 per year.

A spokesperson for Aberystwyth University said: “The University is fully aware of the financial pressures on staff and students in the current cost of living crisis.

“Pay negotiations and strike ballots have been taking place at a UK level rather than with individual institutions.

“Aberystwyth University awarded most staff a 3% annual pay increase in August 2022, in line with the offer made by the universities employers’ association, UCEA, with some staff on lower incomes qualifying for additional increases.

“The pay increase was made in the context of a very tight budgetary situation and significant cost pressures.

“It recognised the need for the University to maintain affordable, sustainable spending plans to protect jobs as well as our teaching and research operations.”