UNIVERSITY staff downed tools and began a 14-day strike for pay and conditions yesterday.

University and College Union members at the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton marched through Falmer to kick off four weeks of action.

Staff are demanding an end to zero-hours contracts, an end to insecure contracts and “properly-managed” workloads for staff.

Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle urged students not to be “scabs” or cross the picket lines.

“Both @sussexucu and @BrightonUCU will be out today trying to defend our HE sector and stop exploitation of staff,” he wrote on Twitter.

Many students backed the strikes despite the campus disruption.

“When you can’t find enough space to sit in the library and three buses go past you every morning because they’re too full to stop, you know something needs to change,” said Sussex anthropology student Connor Moylett, 26.

“I’ve been in classes where lecturers should be teaching small classes but instead they’re teaching 50 people and there aren’t enough chairs.

“It’s not just supporting the staff, but it’s also recognising for students the experience has been getting progressively worse.”

Fellow anthropology undergraduate Jimmy Thomson felt students were being treated like “cash cows”.

“The university can spend all the money it wants on accommodation and car parks but at the end of the day it needs to invest money in its staff,” the 27-year-old said.

“Hopefully this round of strikes is the final push over the finish line.”

A University of Sussex spokeswoman said it respected the rights of staff strikers and hoped a resolution could be found “urgently”.

“Given that universities being hit by strike action are in a minority in both disputes, it is extremely likely that a resolution will only be achieved through compromise,” she said.

“Here at Sussex, we are focused on ensuring the smallest possible disruption to campus life.”

A University of Brighton spokesman said a majority of teaching will go ahead despite the strikes.

“Our immediate priority is to minimise any disruption and to ensure that students are not disadvantaged,” he said.

The University of Sussex has stated it does not employ people on zero hours contracts.

A spokesman added: "Our staff are by far our biggest investment, accounting for around £150 million a year of our spending. Our East Slope accommodation development is paid for by a third-party contractor, Balfour Beatty."