Academics in 61 universities are gearing up to strike over proposed changes to their pensions

Students whose studies will be hit by what unions claim will be “the most extensive strike action ever seen” on UK campuses are planning to demand compensation from their universities for disruption to their degrees.

Academics and lecturers in 61 universities across the country will strike over 14 days starting later this month in protest over proposed changes to their pensions which they claim will leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 worse off each year in retirement – or around £200,000 in total.

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The industrial action, which kicks off on February 22, will mean cancelled lectures, tutorials and seminars, which could have a significant impact on students who pay £9,000 annual tuition fees and build up debts of up to £50,000 after going to university.

There is widespread support among students for their lecturers’ industrial action. National Union of Students president Shakira Martin sent a message of solidarity to the lecturers’ union, the University and College Union, calling on university employers to continue pension negotiations.

At the same time however there is concern among some students about the potential impact on their own studies. Conrad Whitcroft White, 18, a first-year politics student at the University of York, said he was in complete support of his lecturers and their strike action, but added: “The issue is that no-one seems to be looking out for the students here.



“We pay a large amount for our tuition fees and we expect the university in return to provide us with the appropriate education and to pay the staff effectively enough to give us an education. They want students to pay but don’t want to give us consumer rights.

“If I were to pay for a water bill, and the water didn’t come through, I would expect compensation and it’s exactly the same with universities.”

Whitcroft White launched a petition earlier this week demanding £300 compensation for every York University student who loses lecture and contact time because of strike action . By Wednesday afternoon he had collected almost 1,200 signatures.

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Similarly, King’s College London law student Robert Liow has started a Refund Our Fees campaign. He said: “This campaign stands in solidarity with striking lecturers and academics. The core demand of this campaign is that universities give us a refund of our fees for each day that academics are striking. Education should be a public good, but if universities insist on making us pay we will insist on our money back.”

There has been growing anger among lecturers since last summer when the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the sector’s main retirement fund, demanded an extra £500m a year from university employers and staff to fill a £5bn funding hole.

Universities UK (UUK), which represents university employers, has proposed that the fund should switch from a defined benefit scheme that gives a guaranteed retirement income to a riskier defined contribution plan, where pension income is subject to movements in the stock market.

University employers have played down the potential impact of any industrial action, claiming that the number of UCU members voting in favour of strike action represents an estimated 16% of academic staff at those institutions where ballots were held and 12% of active USS members across universities. They say that when there have been previous strikes on campuses, universities have put measures in place to avoid disruption to students.

A UCU spokesman said: “Students are understandably worried about what will happen, and angry that their universities appear to be doing absolutely nothing to avert the most disruptive strike action ever seen on UK campuses.

“As students are being treated as consumers by the government, it is unsurprising that they are unhappy a service they feel they are paying for is not being provided and some are seeking redress.”

He added: “Anything that focuses vice-chancellors’ minds – even at this late stage – is to be welcomed. Those vice-chancellors who, like us, want to avoid the disruption should be demonstrating to their students exactly what they are doing to try and resolve the dispute.

“We would encourage every student to get in touch with their vice-chancellor and ask exactly what they are doing to help bring the dispute to an end.”

A UUK spokesperson said the proposed pension changes were a necessary step, made in the best interests of university staff, to put USS on a sustainable footing for the long-term. “The scheme will continue to offer attractive pensions through market-leading defined contribution benefits”.



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