THOUSANDS of students have been affected by a strike at the University of York.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU), have picketed today in the first of 14 days of strikes over an ongoing pension row, with further disruption expected on Friday, and for the next four weeks.

Almost 18,000 students are expected to be affected by the strikes, with UCU members at 63 other universities around the UK also walking out in solidarity.

Geoffrey Wall, UCU rep at the University of York, said the changes were being pushed through without negotiation, and reaction to the strikes had been largely positive so far.

Prof Wall said: "The first day is an easy one, in a way, especially if we have decent weather, we need to sustain that over the full 14 days of the action, and beyond that if necessary.

"About a third of the people there at 10am were students who had come to show solidarity and support for us. They had some great posters and placards, and we had some great conversations with students, gave out leaflets and had conversations with people who seemed sympathetic. There have been no adverse reactions so far."

Hundreds of UCU members at universities around the country took part in the strike on Thursday, and will continue on Friday. Three days of strikes are expected next week, four the following week, and five the week after.

A national strike ballot by UCU members saw 58 per cent turn out, and 88 per cent back strike action.

In York, with a similar turnout, 87 per cent backed strike action.

Prof Wall said the feeling among the protesters at the university on Thursday - a total of about 150 people - was positive, and the he had been surprised about the strength of feeling shown by the public and some of his colleagues.

He said: "It is a big deal. Good teaching is expensive, you can't do it on the cheap, and employers are trying to drive down costs. We're saying 'no, we believe in the quality of what we do and we're prepared to defend it'.

"I think the mandate is very solid and high across the whole system and looking at my colleagues here, what surprises me is that there are some colleagues on strike who are indicators of the strength of feeling. I have worked here for 40-odd years and never seen anything like this level of commitment."