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Students at Manchester University supporting a university staff striking over proposed changes to pensions Photograph: Jon Super/The Guardian

Speaking at a rally of around 250 people in the basement of the Manchester University student’s union, Martyn Moss, north west regional officer at the UCU, told the crowd that strike action at the university was particularly important because it was the union’s biggest and fastest growing branch.

“I’ve done more media interviews than I can count over the last 24 hours but one of the questions that i’ve been asked the most is ‘what’s the view of students about these disputes given that their teaching and learning is being damaged and disrupted’, and my answer to that is that what has been really striking in this dispute is the level of support students have shown to their lecturers and other academic related staff.”



“And the other question they ask me is what do I think of the students’ claim for compensation for their loss of fees… and what I’m absolutely clear about when answering that question to the press is that UCU has been prepared to negotiate a settlement since last October... None of you wanted to strike, out members don’t want to disrupt students’ education.”

Deej Malik-Johnson, the student union’s Campaigns & Citizenship Officer, told the crowd that it had been clear to him from the beginning that lecturers were right to strike. “The university will try and do its best to pit students against staff,” he said.

“We know who did this. This is not the UCU. It is not our teachers. It is not our mentors who have chosen to do this. The university and Universities UK have forced them into this position and we will never ever leave you hanging if you come to us for help.”