UNIVERSITY strikes have left lecturers and librarians “rejuvenated” and empowered to fight neoliberal reforms, the Scottish TUC Congress heard today.

UCU Scotland official Mary Senior told delegates that the attack on lecturers’ and other workers’ pensions was a “catalyst for so many other grievances to come to the fore,” including the precariousness of work steadily creeping into the sector.

“Lecturers and librarians, professors and administrators have returned to work rejuvenated and refreshed in the knowledge that their employers can no longer take an axe to their pensions and slash their terms and conditions,” she said.

UCU members across Britain voted last week to accept a new offer in their long-running pension dispute. Strikes will be suspended as a joint panel of experts revalues the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which covers pre-1992 universities.

Bosses had argued that the defined-benefit scheme was unaffordable and wanted to move to a defined-contribution scheme. This could lead to members losing tens of thousands of pounds in retirement.

But analysis threw their argument into doubt, leading to demands for the scheme to be independently assessed.

“Whilst our dispute is not over yet, we’re certainly in a much better place, one we could have hardly imagined at the start of the year when the employers were digging in,” Ms Senior said.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, but the employers know that we’re not going away, should they renege on this deal.”

Congress also endorsed a motion raising the alarm over workload among higher-education workers.

The “arbitrary use of performance management” has had “serious effects on productivity and mental and physical wellbeing,” UCU warned.