STRIKING university staff have themselves to thank for forcing bosses back to the negotiating table, their union UCU said today.

Bosses’ group Universities UK (UUK) has agreed to start talks at conciliation service Acas on Monday, the same day staff at 64 universities will take to the picket line in defence of their pensions.

Addressing a packed rally in London today, UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “Just a week ago, the employers said cuts to staff pensions were a done deal.

“Now they have agreed to negotiations, which are scheduled to begin at Acas on Monday.

“It is the pressure from UCU members’ strike action, supported by students, which has brought them to this point and that pressure needs to be maintained if we want a good outcome.

“We hope we are making real progress, but we have to redouble our efforts not relax.”

UUK wants to change the lecturers’ pension scheme from one where pensions are linked to salaries received shortly before retirement to one which would leave pensions subject to stock market fluctuations.

UCU estimates that the change will leave lecturers £10,000 a year worse off in retirement.

Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell also addressed the rally, telling lecturers: “They’ve sought to undermine the whole concept of the professional nature of your role. You’ve set an end to that and I’m so proud that you’ve done it today.”

He added that, “within the first hundred days of a Labour government, we will be scrapping the Trade Union Act”.

National Union of Students (NUS) president Shakira Martin said: “We recognise that your working conditions are our learning conditions. We reject being pitted against each other as an inter-generational battle. It’s us together.”