MEMBERS of the University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Sussex will be on strike from tomorrow as a wave of strikes hit 64 universities across the UK in a row over pensions.

The union believes the strikes will affect 16,685 students at the university.

Striking staff will be on picket lines from 7am at the main university entrances including University Way, Falmer House, Southern Ring Road and Knight’s Gate Road entrances.

Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown Lloyd Russell-Moyle will be visiting the Falmer House picket line on Friday at 9am.

The universities are among 64 institutions* that will be hit with 14 days of strikes over the next four weeks if the dispute is not resolved.

The dispute centres on proposals to end the defined benefit element of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme. The UCU says this would leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current set-up.

The universities’ representatives – Universities UK (UUK) – are seeking to push through the changes and have refused to negotiate with UCU. The union says this has left it with no alternative but to strike. UCU is asking students to get their vice-chancellors to put pressure on UUK to return to the negotiating table.

In the recent strike ballot UCU members overwhelmingly backed industrial action. Overall, 88% of members who voted backed strike action. The turnout was 58%. Locally, 92% of UCU members at Sussex who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 62%.

UCU regional official Mike Moran said: ‘Nobody wants to take strike action, but staff at Sussex feel they have no choice. These hardline proposals would slash staff pensions and are simply uncalled for.

‘It is staggering that the universities have refused to engage with the union.” “We hope students will continue to put pressure on the vice-chancellors to get their reps back round the negotiating table.”