UNIVERSITY bosses have set themselves on a collision course with 50,000 lecturers by attacking pensions in a move that will cost workers tens of thousands of pounds a year in retirement.

THE University and College Union (UCU) said today that industrial action in universities was now inevitable after employers’ organisation Universities UK (UUK) voted for pension cuts to the main retirement scheme.

The move was designed to plug an estimated £14-£18 billion funding shortfall in the Universities’ Superannuation Scheme.

The UUK rejected the union’s appeal for more talks on alternative proposals that would have provided a secure pension for staff on low pay and insecure contracts, who are currently priced out of the scheme.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Employers represented by Universities UK (UUK) have today voted to implement a set of regressive superannuation pension proposals that will reduce member benefits, discourage low-paid and insecurely employed staff from joining the scheme and threaten its viability as a whole.

“UCU’s proposals were far superior to those of UUK — delivering higher benefits and reducing contributions for staff.

“They provided flexibility and for the first time in the scheme’s history guaranteed benefits for the thousands of low-paid and insecurely employed staff who are currently priced out of superannuation.

“Unless employers allow for a rapid consultation on our proposals with a view to revoking their decision today, the path looks inevitably to lead to industrial action, and that is the responsibility of UUK.”

In June, delegates to UCU’s annual congress voted to ballot for industrial action if employers did not rethink their proposals.

Today the union contacted the 50,000 workers affected to prepare for balloting and strike action. 

Universities UK said it had not received “an alternative formal proposal” from the UCU and that “employers will still consider alternative benefit structures and formulations, provided they are viable, affordable and implementable.”