Aberystwyth University and Ceredigion teaching staff are set to strike next week while organisers have appealed for other striking workers to join them.

The town’s University and College Union (UCU) branch has confirmed staff will form a picket line outside the campus today (Wednesday, 1 February).

National Education Union (NEU) members at Penglais School and others will also take industrial action.

UCU branch leader Professor John Gough says there will then be a march through Aberystwyth town centre – which he hopes other union members will join.

Commercial Services Union (PCS) affiliates at the Welsh National Library are also expected to strike that day.

Striking workers are set to converge at the bandstand in the town centre at around noon, organisers say.

UCU members will take industrial action for 18 days in total, over a period of seven weeks, after no agreement was found with university bosses over pay, conditions and pensions in eleventh hour talks last week.

The union says that 70,000 UCU members will walk out on strike days and, if it goes ahead, will be the biggest series of strikes ever to hit UK university campuses.

NEU members are campaigning for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise, after teachers in Wales voted overwhelmingly for strike action.

The union is declaring four days of strike action in February and March in Wales - affecting around 1,500 workplaces in Wales.

The UCU will also be reballoting its 70,000 members at the 150 universities in dispute - which includes Aberystwyth, Lampeter and Bangor - to extend the union’s mandate and allow staff to take further action through the rest of the academic year. The reballot campaign will be launched this week.

Following strikes in November last year, a spokesperson for Aberystwyth University said it is aware of the financial pressures on staff and students but made their 3 per cent pay offer, in line with national levels, in the context of a very tight ‘budgetary situation and significant cost pressures’.

Wales Secretary of the National Education Union Cymru David Evans said teachers have lost around 20 per cent in real-terms since 2010, and support staff 27 per cent. The 5 per cent pay rise for teachers this year is some 7 per cent behind inflation - which is ‘unsustainable’.

A Ceredigion County Council spokesperson said: “No school in Ceredigion will be closed fully; however eight schools will be partially open to some groups/classes. Schools will inform pupils, parents and guardians directly of any changes which may arise due to the strikes. The schools which will be partially open include: Ysgol Ceinewydd, Ysgol Comins Coch, Ysgol Llwyn yr Eos, Ysgol Gynradd Aberteifi, Ysgol Padarn Sant, Ysgol Uwchradd Aberaeron, Ysgol Penglais and Ysgol Bro Pedr.”