LECTURERS will begin strike action today in protest against employment changes their union has branded “an insult to staff.”

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Brighton will walk out from 1pm today.

The union says staffing reforms will lead to job losses, limit promotions and downgrade teaching staff to “demonstrators.”

Reps accuse management at the university of “multiple and persistent” breaches of longstanding agreements with unions.

Further walkouts are planned for April 26 and 27 if the issues are not resolved.

UCU regional official Michael Moran said: “These plans are an insult to staff at the University of Brighton and a serious threat to the quality of education on offer at the institution.

“By repeatedly ignoring agreed procedures for changing working conditions, the university has also shown a blatant disregard for its employees and the union which represents them.

“Strike action is always a last resort, but in the face of such sweeping changes staff feel they have little choice.”

But a university spokesman accused the union of “negativity and apparent determination to spread misleading information.”

He said UCU had “consistently rebuffed” conciliation efforts and that the new demonstrator grade only applied to a few post-grad students.

“This industrial action is totally unnecessary and we are disappointed that it is going ahead,” he said.

“The university has at all times carried out negotiations with the UCU in accordance with our commitments under agreements with them.”

UCU members backed strikes by a margin of 77 per cent in a ballot last month.

Action short of strike, including working to rule, was backed by 85 per cent.