Students at two West Midlands universities will have their studies disrupted next month when their lecturers stage 14 days of strikes on a scale “not been seen before.”

Academics at Aston and Warwick universities are taking industrial action because of changes to their pension schemes which they claim will leave them £10,000 a year worse off in retirement.

Lecturers at the University of Birmingham could also join in the strikes when they are balloted for a second time. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) balloted its members in 61 higher education institutions across the UK and the results were overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

Aston University
Aston University

Overall, 88 per cent of members who voted backed strike action, while 93 per cent backed action sort of a strike.

The University of Birmingham is to re-ballot its members because only 48 per cent turned out to vote first time round – just below the Government’s new requirement of 50 per cent.

But of those who did vote, 81 per cent backed strike action, so a fresh ballot will be held on February 16.

The first day of action will take place on February 22 and 23, then three more days will be held on February 26, 27 and 28.

More strikes will be held on March 5 to 8, then again on March 12 to 16.

Academics from Aston and Warwick universities will take part in these, and also Birmingham, depending on the result of their second ballot.

The dispute centres on the employers’ representative, Universities UK (UUK), proposals to end the defined element of the lecturers’ pension scheme, which the UCU says would leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current set-up.

Last week talks between UCU and the UUK ended without agreement, so UUK’s plans to transform the scheme were forced through by the chair’s casting vote.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “Staff who have delivered the international excellence universities boast of are understandably angry at efforts to slash their pensions. They feel let down by vice-chancellors who seem to care more about defending their own pay and perks than the rights of their staff.

“Strike action on this scale has not been seen before on UK campuses, but universities need to know the full scale of the disruption they will be hit with if they refuse to sort this mess out.”

Among the other universities taking part in the strikes are Cambridge, Durham, Imperial College London, Oxford and St Andrews.