AN “absolute disgrace” and “really horrible” is how protesting Bangor students view plans to slash the pensions of their university lecturers.

The students are throwing their weight behind the Bangor University staff’s planned 14 days of industrial action which starts today (Thursday, February 21)

Staff will join national strikes, picket lines, rallies and “teach out” sessions taking place throughout the city over the next four weeks to object to a national shake-up of lecturer pension rights.

As part of the proposed changes to the University Superannuation Scheme (USS) it is estimated an average lecturer could lose around £9,000 a year in retirement benefits.

The Bangor branch of the University and College Union announced escalating action would be held in February, on 22, 23, 26, 27 and 28, and in March, 5 - 8 and March 12 -16.

Now, students are showing solidarity with their lecturers by organising their own protests.

They will be outside the university’s Deiniol Library, in Bangor, from 8.30am, today (Thursday) armed with placards and banners.

Third year zoology student, Katie Medlin, said: “We students feel it’s very important to show support for our lecturers.

“My lecturers are the reason why I stayed at university. They are more than lecturers to me and they’ve supported me through thick and thin.

“With the proposed pension cuts many lecturers will struggle to afford essentials, that’s not a life anyone deserves, let alone people that spend their lives educating and supporting others.”

“The strike is 14 days of our lives, but the outcome is our lecturers’ futures.”

Another Zoology with Herpetology student, Ian Green, said: “It’s an absolute disgrace these pension cuts are happening. It’s just horrible.

“Our lecturers are like family to us, give us so much help support us, we want to help them back. The amount of money they would be left with in retirement is not enough to live on. Some day I’d like to be a lecturer, so it is not just their rights we are fighting for, it’s our own as well.”

Ecology student Talia Reed said: “It is the least we can do to help our lecturers, they are helping us with our futures so we want to help them with theirs.”

Ian Green added, “A lot of people don’t realise, many of the lecturers go above and beyond the call of duty, with many of them already doing several people’s jobs or filling in other roles unpaid.”

Herpetology and Zoology student Ryan Eddowes said: “Our lecturers deserve our support for what they do for us, it’s just the least we can do. It’s about all our futures.”

The student’s campaign has also been backed by Arfon MP Hywel Williams, a former Bangor University member of staff.

He said: “The potential consequences on staff recruitment and retention at Bangor and other affected Universities is enormous.”

Dr Penny Dowdney, president of the Bangor Branch of UCU said: “These changes represent the biggest attack on UCU’s members that has ever been mounted and requires the biggest ever response.

“It is fantastic that the students are helping us by showing their support with their own protests.”

Dr Alison Cameron, one of the organisers of the staff and student “teach out “ sessions, a programme of talks being held during the strike action, said: “It’s really great that the students are backing us.

“We are giving the free “teach out” talks to give something back to the local community during the strikes and it is an opportunity to get our message across and raise awareness of the importance of a university education.”