UNIVERSITY staff were joined by students as they began striking over changes to their pensions.

Students at Essex University banged drums and blew whistles at passing cars yesterday morning, while drivers slowed down to speak to picketing lecturers.

The Colchester campus is just one of dozens of universities across the country with lecturers out on strike and abandoning teaching.

Peter Patrick, vice president of the University and College Union’s (UCU) Essex University branch, was at one of the three pickets yesterday morning.

He said: “We have had student support from several different groups and individuals who have brought down whistles and drums.

“We have picketed at the main entrances and cars are slowing down to talk to us. The local Labour party activists actually came down and delivered chocolate to us, which he bought with his own money.

“It has been great to have so much support. We all have common ground here.”

This week 57 universities across the UK are experiencing strike action, which is set to continue and escalate over the coming weeks.

It comes as lecturers and other university staff face changes to their pensions.

The dispute centres on proposals to end the defined benefit element of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme. UCU says this would leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current set-up.

Students are set to miss out on lectures and seminars because of the strikes, with some teachers distributing notes for the missed lectures and others not.

But Mr Patrick said many had been supportive, recognising why they were taking action.

He said: “What we are doing really makes sense to them.

“It’s not just about people in middle age getting ready to retire. It’s about guarding the future of the profession. A lot of our students will go on to work with those in education in later life and they can see the impact this will have.”

Strikes are set to continue at the site, and across the country, today**FRI** and on escalating days until Friday, March 15.

Universities UK, which is behind the proposed pension changes, said they would tackle the scheme’s deficit and mean universities can continue to offer “attractive” pensions to staff.

They added they wanted to work with the UCU to shape the details of the benefit structure.