BREAKING: York UCU members have rejected a proposed agreement to end strike action

Lecturers on strike at the University of York have voted to reject a deal which would have seen them return to work and put an end to the strikes.

The result came after an overwhelming majority of York's UCU members voted against the proposals, with only eight members voting in favour.

It was hoped that the latest deal, drawn up between national representatives of the UCU and Universities UK, would put an end to the dispute, which has entered its fourth week.

However, the vote is only advisory and the UCU bosses could choose to ignore the recommendation sent to members yesterday evening and accept the latest proposals.

The agreement involved a three year transitional period for pension changes to take effect, and set a salary threshold of £42,000. It also called on UCU members to "prioritise the rescheduling of teaching in order to minimise the disruption to students".

Despite many strikers demanding the union not back down, UCU boss Sally Hunt indicated she might be willing to accept the latest deal in a speech delivered outside their head office.

The strikes were a response to changes proposed to university staff pension schemes, which the UCU claim will leave staff £10,000 worse off per year.

Meanwhile, a group of students have occupied Heslington Hall in support of the ongoing industrial action.