PICKET lines are outside university sites in Carlisle today as academic staff join a national two-day walk-out in a dispute over pay.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are striking today and tomorrow to protest against a pay offer of 1.1 per cent from UCEA - the national employer body.

Official pickets were outside the Fusehill Street and Brampton Road campuses of the University of Cumbria as well as its largest site in Lancaster early today. 

Ashley Tiffen, UCU branch secretary at the University of Cumbria, said: "This is the first of two days of strike action and the union nationally is also planning further action in June and July.

"In the last five years we've seen 14.5 per cent cuts in real terms with low inflation and other factors. Universities have said they can't afford any more but they have given vice chancellors on average 6.1 per cent increases in the last 12 months. The vice chancellor here has had 2.5 per cent in the last 12 months.

"They say they can't afford it, we say they can.

"We want them to come back to the negotiating table. Nationally, we've also identified a gender inequality too that will need to be explored."

The UCU represents the "vast majority" of academic staff across the University of Cumbria, Mr Tiffen said. It is understood the university employs around 400 academic staff. 

Chris Robinson, a research and teaching assistant who works on the University of Cumbria's working with children and families degree programme, is taking part in his first strike.

He said: "The main reason I'm taking part in the disparity between what staff have been offered and senior leaders."

Colleague Martin Fowler, a senior fine art lecturer at the university, said: "I feel staff are getting an increasingly raw deal and it is impacting on students now. Fine arts just got a 100 per cent on its student feedback survey. We're delivering a really good experience but with less and less staff it is becoming unsustainable."

UCU members have also begun working to contract as part of the national action. 

It means they are refusing to work overtime, set additional work, or undertake any voluntary duties like covering timetabled lessons for absent colleagues.

If no agreement is reached in the coming weeks, members have agreed to further strike action targeting open days and graduation ceremonies in June and July.

The union is also beginning preparations for a boycott of the setting and marking of students’ work, to begin in the autumn if an acceptable offer has still not been made.

A statement from the University of Cumbria read: "The strike action by UCU is part of a national dispute. 

"The University of Cumbria has discussed the matter constructively with UCU locally, and all parties are committed to handling the action and any associated impact in a responsible and sensible way. 

"The industrial action could potentially cause some disruption to formal teaching but submission of coursework and assignments as well as examinations will not be affected."

It added: "The university is making every effort to mitigate any impact on students."