STAFF at Aberystwyth University have gone on strike in an escalating row over pension changes.

Members of the UCU union at the institution took to the picket lines for two days of action starting on Thursday, 22 February along with 60 other universities across the UK.

The widespread disruption has been called over an ongoing battle over changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme, which has already seen staff walk out in 2011 and 2014.

Around half of Aberystwyth’s 407 UCU members took to the picket lines after talks between the union and umbrella group Universities UK (UUK) broke down.

UUK wants to change the USS from a defined benefit scheme that gives a guaranteed retirement income to a defined contribution scheme where pension income is subject to stock market fluctuations.

The union said that two rounds of cuts in USS benefits since 2011 have left members with pensions worth less than those of school teachers and academics in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, and the latest changes will see lecturers lose up to £10,000 a year. The strikes on Thursday and Friday will be the first in a series of action taken over the next four weeks if agreement can’t be reached, the union said.

The union also did not rule extending the strike action, potentially putting end-of-year exams at risk.

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