Strong support across UK for universities strike

Staff across the UK walked out of universities this morning in an increasingly bitter row over pay. Early morning reports already detail closures of buildings and departments with all teaching cancelled at some institutions.

All teaching at Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University has been cancelled. The chemistry department at Loughborough is shut. Libraries across the country are shut, although they had taken to Twitter to tell students book due back today could be brought back tomorrow without a fine.

Members of UCU, Unite and UNISON walked out this morning in a row over pay. Staff are angry at the employers' refusal to budge from a 1% pay offer, which represents a real-terms pay cut of 13% since 2008.

UCU has a live blog which will detail closures as and when they come through at www.ucu.org.uk/fairpayinhelive.  Also follow the hashtag #fairpayinHE on Twitter and the union's account@ucu.

Details on regional rallies happening later today can be found at www.ucu.org.uk/hepay13 

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Staff, from porters to professors have walked out this morning in protest at some of the most sustained pay cuts since the Second World War. Nobody wants to be on strike, but a 13% real-terms pay cut as vice-chancellors' pay continued to increase and universities' surpluses built up simply is not fair.

'Although still early, we are already hearing news of closed departments and buildings with some universities' entire teaching cancelled for the day. If the employers try to spin the action as having little impact then it merely shows how out of touch they are with what is really happening on the ground at universities.

'We are disappointed and annoyed that the employers are still refusing to talk to us and have wasted the past few weeks trying to undermine their staff's actions and, once again, ignored their concerns.'