Workers in the the University and College Union (UCU) were on strike yesterday across North Staffordshire.

Those on the picket line outside Staffordshire University's College Road site said they understand the disruption the walkouts will cause to students, but that they're trying to shape a better future for future generations.

Duncan Adam is a lecturer in the School of Justice, Security and Sustainability at Staffordshire University, and chair of the Staffordshire UCU.

He said: "The disruption that will be caused by these strikes – of course they will be disruptive, strikes are supposed to be disruptive – are there to pressure the employers to come back to the table with a sensible offer.

"They're the only means we have of getting a sensible offer out of an employer.

"The disruption that will be caused is actually small beer in comparison to the years of underfunding."

Duncan Adam, Staffordshire UCU chair (Richard Price).

He added: "We're trying to leave the sector in a better state than what it currently is.

"If it goes on like it is, we're going to see students taught by people under casual contracts and a demoralised workforce.

"I think that's substantially worse than a few days of disruption."

Mr Adam said the student union was supportive of the strikes, with a number of individual students also telling lecturers they felt it was the right course of action to take.

He explained that lecturers weren't just walking out over pay.

He said: "The dispute we're in is related to several factors – pay, workloads, equality, casualisation in the sector.

"If we talk about pay, the offer that we've had is saying that we're worth less than we were last year.

"Over the last twelve years or so, in real terms we're 25% worse off and it's got to the point where that's not sustainable.

"The government needs to strike deals.

"We've got a situation, in various sectors, where services are not what they could be because of chronic underfunding.

"In our sector we're being asked to do more and more, for less and less. It's not fair on students."

Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent (Google).

The UCU says nationally 70,000 staff across 150 universities are on strike today.

The strike is the first of 18 days which will impact 2.5 million students through February and March.

The UCU said responsibility for the disruption rested at the feet of university bosses who they claim haven't made fair offers over pay, working conditions and pensions.

They say a pay deal of 5% which was offered last week isn't enough.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "University vice-chancellors have been given multiple opportunities to use the sector's vast wealth to resolve these disputes.

"Instead, they have forced staff back to the picket line and brought disruption to students.

"Staff aren't asking for much. They want a decent pay rise, secure employment and for devastating pension cuts to be reversed.

"These demands are reasonable and deliverable by a sector which has over £40bn in reserves.

"Students back their staff taking action because they see day in day out the way that it treats those who do the work inside our universities.

"There are 17 further days of strike action planned but it can be avoided.

"For that, we need university bosses to get serious and make much improved offers. If they don't any disruption that takes place is entirely their responsibility."

READ MORE: Barlaston Hall granted premises licence despite concerns from residents

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stoke Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our city.

Please consider following Stoke Nub News on Facebook or Twitter.