MORE than 100 university workers took to a picket line in Liverpool over changes to pensions they fear will price people out of the sector.

As part of a national demonstration organised by the University and College Union, University of Liverpool lecturers, teachers and support staff took part in the mass walkout.

The angry staff formed a picket line at 7am yesterday outside the entrance to the Foundation Building, at the top of Brownlow Hill, which was followed by a peaceful 12pm protest by placard-waving lecturers at Abercrombie Square.

The union is campaigning against moves to raise the retirement age for academics, increase contributions and end the final salary pension scheme.

The changes, the union calculates, will see new members having to increase contributions, meaning a reduction of 30% compared with existing staff.

With final salary pensions set to end, the UCU predicts a 30-year-old lecturer will lose up to £130,000 in pension entitlements on retirement.

The union’s fears were shared by the university staff who decided to walk out on lectures yesterday.

They include University of Liverpool lecturer Alice Eardley, 30, who said women taking career breaks to start a family would be among those bearing the brunt of the pensions shake-up.