Universities across the UK will be hit with another 14 days of
strikes around exam time if the pensions dispute is not resolved.
Sixty-five institutions face another wave of strikes as members
of the University and College Union (UCU) keep up the pressure on
universities to sort the row over changes to their pensions.
The union’s higher education committee (HEC) met today (Thursday)
and sanctioned another 14 days of strikes, if necessary, designed
to hit the exam and assessment periods between April and June.
UCU said it would now gather information on when the 14 days of
action would be most effective at different universities.
UCU members are taking their ninth day of strike
action today and will be on strike all of next week
(12-16 March).
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: ‘I want to stress that I
consider all this a necessary precaution against the failure of
talks to deliver an acceptable settlement.
‘The union would prefer dialogue and I have given my personal
commitment to Acas that UCU is serious about reaching an
agreement. However, if talks fail, we are prepared to carry out
the action in defence of our pensions.’
UCU members are on strike over plans to end the defined benefit
element of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension
scheme. UCU says this would leave a typical lecturer
almost £10,000 a year worse
off in retirement than under the current set-up.
The universities’ representatives – Universities UK – had sought
to impose the changes and refused to negotiate. In response UCU
members started the first wave of 14 days of escalating strikes
on Thursday 22 February.
That action brought Universities UK back to the negotiating table
and both sides are now in talks through the conciliation service
Acas with more talks scheduled for tomorrow (Friday).
