THE University of York has been compared to a 19th century mill owner after threatening to withhold all pay from staff taking part in industrial action short of a strike.

The University and College Union (UCU) has called the action in response to proposed reforms to the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which it claims will leave thousands of academics many tens of thousands of pounds worse off in their retirement.

An open letter to university vice chancellor ,written by Dr Simon Hall of the University of Leeds and which union members are being asked to sign, claims the decision 'constitutes the most serious threat to academics’ pay and conditions in at least a generation.'

He says: "Your threat to dock 100 per cent pay on a continuous basis – which amounts to nothing less than old-fashioned union-busting – might be expected of a nineteenth century mill owner, but it has absolutely no place in a university system which, quite rightly, values collegiality."

He said the university had 'shamefully' decided to define any work that unionised academics continued to do, including the preparation and delivery of lectures, the planning and running of seminar classes, the hosting of visiting speakers, research, the writing of journal articles, conference papers and books, the supervision of undergraduate, as merely “voluntary."

The university said in a statement: " We do not recognise partial performance of contractual duties and will withhold pay from members of staff who participate in industrial action.

"However, as a gesture of goodwill, we will continue to make employers' contributions for those staff participating in industrial action. Any pay withheld from staff will be used to support student causes."

It also said it was very disappointed the UCU had chosen to take industrial action just as national negotiations were getting underway.

"This action will not change the university's position with regard to those negotiations - we encourage both sides to address this issue at the negotiating table and to identify a way forward which addresses the enormous deficit in the USS while ensuring that staff can access attractive pensions when they retire," it said.

"No ideas or solutions should be off the table at this stage."

It said it would make every effort to ensure students were not adversely affected by the action.