Bristol uni students barricade room over pension strikes

The doors of the Great Hall at Bristol University have been blocked since 08:00 GMT

Students at the University of Bristol have barricaded themselves inside the Wills Memorial Building in protest at plans to cut staff pensions.

They used chairs and tables to block the entrance to the Great Hall earlier.

They want a University and College Union (UCU) "pension plan proposal" in place and to "reverse the decision to withhold pay" from striking staff.

A university spokesman said it was aware of the action that was part of a national dispute over pay and pensions.

The students have used tables and chairs to barricade the doors

The occupying students said their action at 08:00 GMT was in response to "the 35% cut to pensions" for members of university staff.

The cuts being put forward by Universities UK, collective for up to 140 universities in the UK, are based on a valuation of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) - the UK's largest private pension scheme, conducted in March 2020 as the markets were crashing due to the pandemic.

UCU's proposals would see retirement benefits protected in return for a short-term increase in contributions for both members and employers until "a new, evidence-based valuation could be implemented".

UCU said: "The employers' justification for the cuts has now evaporated" after USS confirmed on 20 January that its assets had increased to more than £92bn, which was more than £25bn higher than when the previous evaluation took place.

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: "We are aware that students are currently occupying the Great Hall in the Wills Memorial Building.

"The action follows similar occupations at several other universities in which students are supporting the ongoing industrial action by lecturers and academic staff which is part of a complex national dispute over staff pay and pensions."

The occupiers said the "the university can have the Wills Memorial Building Back when management stop punishing staff and meet their demands".