HUNDREDS of lecturers at the University of York are set to walk out on strike as part of a national row over pensions.

About 800 members of the University and College Union at the campus will begin the first of two days’ strike action on Tuesday, March 22, in a row over pensions.

Staff are taking the action in protest against changes to the University Superannuation Scheme pension fund.

York is one of 63 UK universities taking industrial action over the changes to the scheme.

Nationwide the strikes are expected to start on Thursday, March 17, when universities in Scotland are taking strike action and kicking off the UK-wide disruption.

There are separate strike days for Wales, Northern Ireland and England on March 18, 21 and 22 respectively.

There will then be UK-wide action which York will take part in on Thursday, March 24.

Geoffrey Wall, of York UCU, said the union was hopeful that strike action could be avoided, although the employers this week rejected UCU’s invitation to meet for talks through the arbitration service ACAS.

He said if no resolution could be thrashed out before Thursday then the action would take place.

A spokeswoman for York St John University said they had not had any notification of strike action from the UCU.