STUDENTS and staff at a York university are bracing themselves for three days of strike action starting today (December 1).

Lecturers from the University of York are set to join staff from 57 other UK universities and are walking out for three consecutive days ending on Friday (December 3).

These are the latest strikes in a long-running dispute between university representatives and the University and College Union (UCU) over pensions, pay and working conditions.

Striking staff are expected to be on picket lines at the university’s main entrances from 8am, including Heslington Hall and Heslington Lane, on Heslington West campus, and King’s Manor in the city centre.

There will also be a a daily rally held from 10am to 10.30am outside Heslington Hall.

The UCU has warned that action will escalate in the new year if employers continue to ignore staff demands.

Three consecutive days of strike action will hit 58 universities starting today (Wednesday) after university bosses and their representatives refused to withdraw pension cuts or address falling pay and worsening working conditions.

Last month UCU members at 58 institutions backed strike action in two separate ballots, one over pension cuts and one over pay and working condition.

Research by the National Union of Students shows 73 per cent of students support university staff taking strike action.

The union claims staff pay has fallen by 20 per cent after 12 years of below inflation pay offers whilst almost 90,000 academic and academic-related staff are employed on insecure contracts.

To resolve the pension dispute UCU is demanding universities revoke their pension proposals which they say would see a typical lecturer face a cut of 35 per cent to their guaranteed retirement income.

To resolve the pay and working conditions dispute UCU is demanding a £2,500 pay increase for all staff, as well as action to tackle unmanageable workloads, pay inequality and insecure contracts that blight the sector.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "It is deeply regrettable that staff have been forced into taking industrial action again, but sadly university bosses have shown little interest in negotiating in good faith and addressing the serious concerns of staff over falling pay, massive pension cuts, equality pay gaps and the rampant use of insecure contracts.

"The truth is that staff are asking for the bare minimum in a sector awash with money. But sadly, the only time vice chancellors seem to listen is when staff take action, and those leading our universities should not underestimate their determination to change this sector for the better.

"We are grateful to all the students who are supporting staff taking industrial action because they understand that staff working conditions are student learning conditions. Vice-chancellors now need to concentrate on asking themselves why strikes have become an annual occurrence and seek to resolve this dispute in order to avoid more needless disruption to learning. If they continue to ignore the modest demands of staff then we will be forced to take further industrial action in the new year, which even more branches will join."

A spokesman for the University of York said: "We recognise that the decision to take industrial action is not taken lightly and we respect colleagues' right to take part. We also understand that students will be concerned about the potential impact on their studies.

"Our priority is making sure we have the right support and procedures in place and we are working across academic and support departments to minimise the impact on students and to mitigate any lost learning opportunities as a result of the action taken to date."