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UCU national president visits student occupation

Terry Hoad, the national president of the lecturers' trade union, UCU, will today visit students at the University of Aberdeen who are entering their tenth day of occupation in opposition to what they call "unnecessary and unfair" changes to lectuers' pension schemes, cuts to education and senior staff bonuses.

Alannah Ainslie, a 17 year-old Law student, said "This demonstrates the ties we've built with staff. We've been clear that we're not going to let ourselves be divided, and we're clear the fight to protect pensions and the fight to protect access to education are part of the same fight to defend education."

Students are calling on the principal to speak out against the proposed pension reforms. "The principal needs to break ranks over pensions." Fiona Massie, a 19 year-old English and Film student explained. "We're very concerned about the way the negotiations are being handled. We are worried that it is more of a cost-cutting exercise for employers than about making the scheme viable in the long-term, and we're worried about the impact this will have on our staff and on us when we graduate."

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