Following a nationwide ballot of members, the University and College Union (UCU) has secured a mandate for industrial action at the University of Nottingham and 60 other UK universities in a dispute over the Universities Superannuation Scheme pension scheme and national pay award for 2019/20.

UCU’s Higher Education Committee has now confirmed that the union will call eight days of strike action, starting on Monday 25 November and finishing on Wednesday 4 December, followed by a period of action short of a strike (ASOS).

The University will remain open and is committed to doing everything possible to minimise disruption to teaching and learning while UCU members exercise their democratic rights.

Further information to support students and staff during the period of industrial action will be published in due course.

University Registrar Dr Paul Greatrix said:

“We are disappointed at the potential for national industrial action at Nottingham alongside 60 universities across the country. Our priority is providing education for our students and during any industrial action the University will remain open and do everything possible to minimise disruption to teaching and learning.

“Universities UK has worked hard to secure the pension as a defined benefit scheme, avoiding much higher mandatory increases and allowing time for an independent panel to recommend longer-term reforms to the scheme. This has meant asking staff and universities to pay more in pension contributions, but limited to a further 0.8% for staff while the University will contribute a further 1.6%.

“The University continues to support the work of the independent joint expert panel agreed by UUK and UCU in securing the pension scheme’s sustainability for the long-term.”

Universities UK has issued the following statement.