STAFF at Newport’s university will take part in a national day of strike action against public spending cuts tomorrow.

Members of the University and College Union at the University of Wales, Newport, will join their colleges across the UK in response to attacks on their pay, proposed changes to their pensions and threats to jobs as a result of public spending cuts.

Newport trades union council secretary Malcolm Degroot said members would be the first group of public sector workers to take strike action in a bid to highlight the consequences for jobs, pay and pensions that would result from “unnecessary” government cuts.

Some members will also travel to London on Saturday where they will join other trade unionists, charities, voluntary groups, community organisations, politicians and members of the public on a march to Hyde Park to promote their “stop the cuts now” message to the coalition government.

Mr Degroot said the campaign would focus on the attack on public sector pensions in a bid to defend what he describes as the “justifiable arrangements” in place for when staff retire.

Newport trades union set up the Newport Against the Cuts campaign to encourage members of the community to oppose the coalition government’s implementation of its public sector cuts policy.

A spokesman for the university said it would do all we could to ensure the effect on students on Thursday was minimal.