THE row over the salary packages awarded to university leaders comes as lecturers are on strike over pensions.

The dispute centres on proposals to end the defined benefit element of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme.

Lecturers’ unions argue this would leave a typical academic almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement than under the current set-up.

Younger academics could lose almost half of their total retirement income, say unions, but the employers’ group Universities UK says the scheme has a deficit of more than £6 billion which it cannot ignore.

And they said the industrial action is targeted at helping students because it is they who will suffer if education deteriorates due to employers being forced to make cuts to pay more into pensions.

Christine Haswell, national pensions official for the University and College Union, said: “Members of the universities pension scheme face the guaranteed element of their pension being axed. With strike action under way, universities across Scotland are facing the largest strikes and most substantial period of disruption they have ever faced.

“We are ready to take part in meaningful talks to resolve the dispute if we possibly can but, most importantly, we need university principals to stand up and bring the employers back to negotiations.”

A spokeswoman for Universities Scotland said about 10 Scottish institutions were affected by the UK-wide action.

She added: “Universities Scotland is not a party in this dispute, but recognises the need for universities to address the funding challenges facing USS.

“Universities’ immediate priority will be to try to minimise disruption to students’ education and to vital student services during that time.

“It is not yet clear what impact this will have in individual institutions but we will keep this under review.”

The action involves 14 days of escalating strikes over four weeks, beginning last Thursday.