Staff at Brighton University, Sussex University and the Institute of Development Studies are to go on strike for three days next month.
Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will walk out from Wednesday 1 December to Friday 3 December.
The strike, involving staff at dozens of universities across the country, is in response to disputes over pensions, pay and working conditions.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said that more industrial action could take place in the spring if the row with employers remains unresolved.
Earlier this month, UCU members backed strike action in two separate disputes, one on pensions and one on pay and working conditions.
As well as the three strike days, union members will begin other forms of industrial action from Wednesday 1 December, including working strictly to their contracts and refusing any additional duties.
The work to rule could last for up to five months, in line with the mandate to take industrial action, the UCU said.
Dr Grady said: “Strikes over three consecutive days are set to hit university campuses next month unless employers get round the table and take staff concerns over pension cuts, pay and working conditions seriously.
“UCU has repeatedly asked employers to meet with us to try to resolve these disputes.
“But while we set out pragmatic solutions that could halt widespread disruption to UK campuses, university bosses refuse to revoke unnecessary, swingeing pension cuts or even to negotiate on issues like casualisation and the unbearably high workloads that blight higher education.
“A resolution to this dispute is simple. But if employers remain intent on slashing pensions and exploiting staff who have kept this sector afloat during a pandemic then campuses will face strike action before Christmas, which will escalate into spring with re-ballots and further industrial action.”
The UCU said that cuts to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pensions scheme would reduce the guaranteed retirement income of a typical member by 35 per cent.
It also said that pay for university staff fell by 17.6 per cent relative to inflation between 2009 and 2019 – and since then employers have made below-inflation offers, with the latest worth 1.5 per cent.
The UCU held a series of walkouts in 2019 and early 2020 over pensions, pay and conditions, which affected universities across Britain. There was also strike action in 2018 amid a row over pensions.
National Union of Students (NUS) president Larissa Kennedy said: “With vice-chancellors’ average total pay packets rising to £269,000 per year, it’s clear employers can afford to resolve their dispute with UCU over staff pay, which has fallen by an average of 20 per cent in real terms since 2009.
“Staff teaching conditions are student learning conditions – and we mustn’t forget many postgraduate students on casualised teaching contracts will be striking.
“The onus for minimising disruption for students lies with university bosses. They must come back to the table to address the clear issues in how higher education is currently run.”
Universities UK, which represents employers in the pensions dispute, said: “We regret that the UCU is proceeding with plans for industrial action despite the fact that fewer than 10 per cent of eligible pension scheme members voted yes to strike action.
“Strike action will not address the urgent need for reform to keep the scheme affordable.
“Universities will put in place measures to minimise the impact on students, other staff and the wider university community and will ensure that students can continue to learn and receive support.
“We have repeatedly stated willingness to consult employers on any viable, affordable and implementable alternative proposal from the UCU and we remain fully committed to continuing talks to develop a joint approach to the future of the pension scheme.”
Raj Jethwa, chief executive of the UCEA, which represents employers in the pay dispute, called the union’s “long-awaited” decision to stage strike action in the autumn term “disappointing”.
He said: “UCU members need to understand that any industrial action aimed at harming students is an unrealistic attempt to try to force all 146 employers to reopen the concluded 2021-22 national pay round and improve on an outcome that is for most of these institutions already at the very limit of what is affordable.
“It has been 10 days since the ballot results and not one of the HEIs (higher education institutions) has indicated to UCEA any form of reconsideration.
“We note UCU’s campaign focuses on casual contracts and workload. We have made repeated offers of joint work in these areas for two years but UCU has rejected them.
“UCEA genuinely wishes to engage on these matters as far as we can at a national level, noting that they are ultimately for local negotiations.”
There are 33 institutions where UCU members are taking action over both pay and pensions. They include Sussex University and the Open University.
Brighton University is among the 21 institutions to be affected by workers taking action over pay.
The Institute of Development Studies is one of four institutions where staff voted to strike only over their pensions.
With salaries as in the article quoted, they should stay out on strike.
Nobody will miss them.
The quoted figure is for the Vice Chancellors of universities – counter-intuitively, the top role in a university is the VC.
Lecturers and support staff make approximately a tenth that amount, and are getting an effective pay cut every year.
Nice try to deflect, but no way.
The average university lecturer salary is £45,187 within the UK.
Unless you mean the VC is on £450,000.
I think that’s the effect of a few high earners dragging the mean up. https://www.discoverphds.com/advice/after/lecturer-and-professor-salaries
However, you’re quite right and I was not as accurate as I could have been.