STUDENTS at university in Gwent are due to be be informed of the impact of lecturer strikes later this month.

That is according to the University of South Wales, commenting on news that more than 70,000 lecturers and other staff at 150 universities will strike for three days later this month.

The strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay, working conditions and pensions.

The University and College Union (UCU) said the strikes – on November 24, 25 and 30 – will be the biggest ever to hit UK universities and could impact 2.5 million students.

The union said university staff are facing poverty amid the cost-of-living crisis, and has demanded a 12 per cent pay increase - in line with inflation, according to the Retail Price Index (RPI) – plus an additional two per cent.

In May, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), which represents higher education institutions in pay talks, announced a scheme of graded pay rises, starting at nine per cent for the lowest paid staff and reducing to three per cent for those on higher salaries, which came in in August.

The UCU also said university staff, on average, work an additional two days per week unpaid due to excessive workloads, while a third of academic staff are on insecure contracts.

Responding to news of potential strike action, a University of South Wales spokesperson said: “We have been informed by the University and College Union (UCU) that their members will begin strike action later this month.

"We will be communicating directly with students before then to provide advice and guidance and we will be doing what we can to minimise the impact for them.”