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Bristol university staff on strike over pay and conditions

BBC Staff gather outside university buildings in Bristol.BBC
Hundreds of people gathered outside university buildings in Bristol

Hundreds of university workers in Bristol have joined a strike as part of a national day of action.

Around 70,000 lecturers and support staff have gone on strike at universities across the UK.

In Bristol, they held a rally calling for an increased pay offer, fewer temporary contracts for employees and a change to their pension terms.

Universities say measures are in place to minimise the impact on students.

Steve West, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of UWE Bristol, said universities were under increasing financial pressure.

He said: "The problem is our income streams are not keeping pace with inflation.

"My university's energy bills are about £6m per annum, next year they will jump to £20m and of course all of those pressures have to be absorbed by the university."

'Overworked, underpaid'

But staff on strike believe more needs to be done to support them and improve pay and conditions.

"Overworked, underpaid, precarious staff can't deliver excellent education to students," said Dr Alexandra Reza, a writer and lecturer in comparative literatures and cultures at the University of Bristol.

Dr Alexandra Reza
Dr Alexandra Reza took part in the industrial action in Bristol

"People go into teaching at university not because they think they're going to make loads of money.

"We go in because we love research and we love teaching and we love our students.

"It's just very hard when that goodwill and love we have is worn down," she added.

Jamie Melrose, University and College Union
Jamie Melrose said "the most important resource" of a university was its staff

Jamie Melrose from the University and College Union said: "There are billions of pounds in this sector and it's a question of redirecting that cash into the most important resource of a university and that's the staff."

Matthew Brown
Professor Matthew Brown said he had seen a lot of support from students

"I think what has been amazing today has been the support from our students," said Matthew Brown, professor in Latin American History at the University of Bristol.

"On past experience I am not terribly optimistic but I think they'll see the strength of feeling and support from much of the student body and see that the demands we are making are really very modest," he added.

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