Bradford street paved with strikers' gold

Wages saved by Bradford University when its staff went on strike may be used to pedestrianise part of the campus, writes Julia Hinde.

Members of the Association of University Teachers say they are concerned that an estimated Pounds 50,000 of withdrawn wages following the November strike will not be channelled into student hardship as they had requested, but will be used to pedestrianise the university's main thoroughfare, Richmond Road.

Alan Carling, president of the university's branch of the AUT, said: "There is a discussion in the university about the use to which the proceeds of the strike should be put."

The unions have argued very strongly that this windfall to the university should be devoted to the relief of student hardship.

He added that if the money was used to erect bollards, as he had heard, then the resulting pedestrianisation would be a "permanent memorial to the strike".

It might be suggested that the Richmond Road be renamed Union Way with the Unison bollard, the AUT bollard, the student bollard etc," he said.

A spokeswoman for the university said no final decision had been made regarding the money. But she added that it would be used for "purposes for the benefit of the whole university".