The dispute between universities and their staff may be closer to a resolution after the University of Oxford said it would seek to reverse its stance on pensions changes that unions say would cost retirees up to £10,000 a year.

The about-turn means Oxford joins an increasing number of universities that have broken ranks with the position taken by Universities UK (UUK), which claims the staff pension scheme needs dramatic reform in order to continue.

Cambridge, Manchester, St Andrews and Warwick universities have distanced themselves from the UUK’s stance, and Imperial College’s leadership has made a direct appeal to the pensions regulator asking for the issue to be resolved by an independent panel of experts.

In an email to staff on Wednesday, Oxford’s vice-chancellor Louise Richardson said the university’s council would heed the mood of staff at a meeting – known as a congregation – on Tuesday and reconsider its position.

“In light of the depth of feeling of so many colleagues we will convene a special meeting of council today at noon and will be recommending that council reverse its response to the UUK survey in line with congregation’s resolution,” said Richardson.

“The future of our pensions is a shared interest for so many members of this university that we must try to find common ground. In the coming days we will look for ways to improve our engagement with staff so that all members of our community are able to speak and be heard on this very important issue.”

At Tuesday’s congregation, staff sought to debate a resolution on pensions downgrades that have provoked strike action at more than 60 universities.

After the debate was blocked, hundreds of staff elected to carry on with the meeting outside the Sheldonian Theatre, and organisers said the resolution to change Oxford’s position was carried by 442 votes to two in a staff ballot.

On Wednesday the group behind the resolution said they “warmly welcomed” Richardson’s email.

“We are overjoyed. The vice-chancellor recognised that congregation expressed the general will of the university, and we warmly welcome her recommendation to council,” said Kate Tunstall, a fellow of Worcester College who returned from a sabbatical to help organise the opposition.

Meanwhile, more than 100 senior academics at Cambridge have written to their vice-chancellor, Stephen Toope, urging him to join Imperial’s call for an independent panel of pensions experts.



The dispute centres on the future of the universities superannuation scheme (USS) after the pensions regulator issued a warning last year about the level of risk carried by the scheme, which covers staff including librarians, researchers, administrators and technicians at many British universities.

UUK, which says it represents 350 employers in the sector, said results from a survey it had conducted showed that a significant number wanted less risk, meaning the scheme should switch its investments to safer but less remunerative assets such as bonds.

UUK claimed the change would cause a huge deficit and backed a switch from fixed benefits at retirement to variable payouts based on market performance, a move now widespread in the private sector.

The University and College Union (UCU) has disputed the UUK projections and argues that fixed benefits can be retained if universities are prepared to make higher contributions.

Strikes have been held at more than 60 universities and colleges on eight days over a period of three weeks, and the UCU plans further walkouts if the dispute is not settled.



Last week UUK and UCU agreed to talks at the conciliation service Acas, which are scheduled to continue on Wednesday.