Staff strikes are set to cause significant disruption across 61 of the UK's universities in February, after union members voted to take industrial action over changes to their pension provision.
Eighty-eight per cent of University and College Union members voted for strike action over the proposed closure of the Universities Superannuation Scheme to defined benefit accrual and replacement with defined contribution benefits.
Ninety-three per cent of members backed industrial action short of a strike, with a turnout of 58 per cent.
USS has struggled with a large deficit in recent years, which stands at £5.1bn according to an actuarial valuation as of September last year.
UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: "UCU members have made it quite clear that they are prepared to take sustained strike action to defend their pensions."
She added: "USS already offers worse benefits than other schemes available in universities, and UUK's proposals would make matters worse. I hope more vice-chancellors will pressure their negotiators to work with us to resolve the matter without strike action."
The union will now plan an industrial action strategy in case talks with Universities UK, scheduled to end tomorrow, fail to reach an agreement.
