Staff on strike at Dundee University said they are keen to get back to the negotiating table over changes to their pension – despite Universities UK (UUK) saying the door to is still open for talks.
One lecturer, who has been working there for 24 years, said staff are angrier than she has ever seen them over the new scheme, estimated to cost them an average of £10,000 a year in retirement.
Around 40 to 50 university staff members were spread across five picket lines on Thursday morning, protesting the changes.
In total, 14 days of action over four weeks will take place, with staff working to rule on other days.
UUK have proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) to combat a £6.1 billion deficit, they say. University and College Union (UCU) members in 64 universities across the country are taking strike action as a result.
Marion Sporing, member of Dundee UCU and lecturer of languages and European studies for 24 years at the campus, said: “Our pay has been getting squeezed for years and now they are coming after our pensions – it’s a step too far.
“One of the benefits of working at a university is that you would get a stable pension but now that is under attack. I’ve never seen staff as angry as they are over this.
“We are already underpaid and overworked. I wouldn’t recommend academia as a career to anyone the way things are now.”
Janice Aitken, secretary for UCU Scotland, added: “It’s important that we stand together so our members have a decent voice.
“We take this decision to strike with a heavy heart and what we want more than anything else is for UUK to get back to the negotiating table.
“They are saying there isn’t enough money but there seems to be enough to pay huge salaries to vice chancellors. Dundee is nowhere near the biggest offender, but some principles are on massive salaries.
“These changes are taking a gamble on our retirement. Enough is enough.”
Carlo Morelli, USS negotiator for the UCU and economics lecturer at Dundee University, said pinning pensions on the stock market is “trickle up” economics.
“This new system would mean that instead of a shared risk in the system, individuals would take on all the risk themselves,” he added. “The amount of cash paid could go up or down, but it is expected that people would lose on average £10,000 a year.”
Sean O’Connor, president of Dundee Universities Student Association, said that students are standing behind the decision to strike, saying that any disruption to timetables was for the “greater good”.
However, a spokesman for UUK said they are still willing to talk, and that changes need to happen in the current financial climate.
“The changes proposed will make USS secure, and sustainable, safeguarding the future of universities,” he said. “University staff will have a valuable pension scheme, with employer contributions of 18% salary, double the private sector average. This makes strike action very disappointing.
“UUK remains at the negotiating table, but so far UCU has refused to engage on how best to address the funding challenges facing USS.”
