STAFF staged a one-day strike at Bournemouth University (BU) yesterday but there was some disquiet that students didn’t back them up.

The lecturers’ union, the UCU, staged national action over pensions but the local students union, SUBU, worked with the university to maintain timetables.

Tourism lecturer Lorraine Brown said on the picket line: “We are dedicated to the students and I think it’s unfortunate that the local students union is out of step with the national union, especially when we went to London over tuition fees.”

UCU branch secretary John Brissenden said while some students are very sympathetic most were unaware of the action, adding that BU is not known as a radical campus.

NUS president Aaron Porter had lectured at BU the day before and asked students to back the action. SUBU said it understood the lecturer’s right to strike but wanted to focus on the student experience and minimise disruption.