THOUSANDS of lecturers, researchers and other academic staff are being balloted on strikes over pay, pensions and working conditions — threatening disruption at more than 150 universities before the end of the year.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) will vote in the next few weeks on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action, which could stretch into the new year if the deadlocked row remains unresolved.

The union says it is fighting cuts to Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pensions, declining pay, the use of insecure contracts, unsafe workloads and “serious” equality failings.