National protest against uni job losses

ACADEMICS FROM ACROSS UK JOINED DEMO IN NEWCASTLE

- By AUSTEN SHAKESPEARE

HUNDREDS of demonstrators from across the country descended on Newcastle city centre yesterday to support striking Newcastle University staff and call for a funding shake-up in higher education.

The University and College Union (UCU) held a 'national demonstration' in the city, calling on union chapters from as far and wide as Edinburgh and University College London to attend.

The demo also marked the 37th day of strike action at Newcastle University, where academic staff have protested against job cuts intermittently since March.

The demonstrators initially gathered outside Newcastle Civic Centre at around 12:30pm yesterday afternoon, before heading for a rally at Monument for 2pm.

The UCU has also called for a radical overhaul on how higher education is funded, calling on the government to shift from tuition fees to public funding.

Industrial action at Newcastle University was sparked after the institution announced its intention to cut around 300 jobs from its wage bill, equating to a £20m saving. According to Newcastle University, out of a total population of 6,000 staff, 257 have made the decision to leave the university through voluntary severance.