Plans for four weeks of strikes at Aberdeen University revealed

Staff at the University of Aberdeen will be involved in strikes protesting pensions, the strike will last four weeks and is happening across University campuses in the UK.

Strikes of this scale, "have not been seen before on UK campuses" with action starting on the 22nd of February.

Last week, talks between the University College Union (UCU) and the employers' representative Universities UK (UUK) ended without agreement and UUK's plans to transform the scheme were forced through by the chair's casting vote.

The UCU opposed changes to staff pensions and issued a ballot to universities. The ballot report shows that at the University of Aberdeen 85.8% said yes to the strike, 14.2% saying no.

The dates that will be affecting Aberdeen are:

Week one – Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February (two days)

Week two – Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February (three days)

Week three – Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March (four days)

Week four – Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March (five days)

A University of Aberdeen spokesperson said:

“We acknowledge that our staff are deeply committed to their profession and supporting the delivery of an outstanding student experience at the University of Aberdeen.

We understand that the proposals outlined by USS, which will now be the subject of a statutory consultation period commencing in March, would impact on pension benefits but equally it is necessary to take steps to ensure the Scheme remains affordable for both staff and employers.

We cannot condone strike action designed to cause disruption to our students and we will appeal to staff to be cautious in their support for this approach. We will take whatever reasonable steps we can to ensure the University remains open for business as normal during this period.”