Dear Sir, We, the undersigned, wish to register our support for the UCU in the recent disputes over pensions, job security and pay, and petition the University of Exeter to encourage the employers’ representatives to enter into talks with Acas. With the worst cuts for a generation underway, we believe that the education sector requires standards of job security already found in other sectors and rates of pay in line with inflation. We also wish to stress the current good health of the USS pension scheme, and emphasize the importance of maintaining a fair pension scheme for our teaching staff. As students of the University, we are grateful for the current high standard of teaching provided by our staff, and are concerned not only for their future employment prospects but for the impact changes will have on this standard. We feel cuts that threaten the ability to recruit and retain exceptional staff damage the quality of education and by extension degrade the University as a whole. With this in mind, we urge the University of Exeter to encourage the employers into talks with Acas. If the employers continue to refuse to enter into negotiations, and industrial action goes ahead, we will support our lecturers and staff in their strike.