Three-day strike over job losses and pay at Bradford College

UCU members picketed Bradford College on Great Horton Road

Teaching staff at a West Yorkshire college are on a strike in a row over pay and threats to more than 130 jobs.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Bradford College said they would picket the main entrance on Great Horton Road until Friday.

A Bradford College spokesperson said the strike action was "regrettable" but said students would not be affected.

The union said axing jobs would result in "fewer educational opportunities for people in Bradford".

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The college employs 857 full-time equivalent staff across its sites, of which 340 are teaching staff.

UCU members in Bradford have been on strike for seven days already this year in the row over pay.

The union said college staff had only had one 1% pay rise in 11 years, and had seen their pay decline by 25% in real terms since 2008.

It said losing 131 jobs at the college would mean losing "valuable expertise" and fewer opportunities in the city.

The union pointed to Hugh Baird College in Merseyside and Lambeth College in London as examples of places with better staff pay and conditions after reaching deals with the union.

A Bradford College spokesperson said: "Reducing staffing costs is essential to help secure our long-term future.

"We are still in the process of consulting on the restructure plans and are committed to keeping the number of compulsory redundancies to a minimum."

He added: "The academic year has already finished for the vast majority of students but they will still be able to access facilities as normal."