University academics and support staff are to stage a second national one-day strike on Tuesday December 3 in an ongoing row over pay, it has been announced.

Institutions across the UK could be affected by the walkout, which is being taken by four unions - the University and College Union (UCU), Unison, Unite and the Scottish education union EIS.

The dispute centres on a 1% pay rise offered to university staff - including lecturers, technicians and administration workers - which the unions insist means there has been a 13% pay cut in real terms since October 2008.

UCU, whose members have been working to contract since the beginning of the month, said it had written to employers yesterday asking for dates to be set for talks aimed at resolving the dispute.

Michael MacNeil, UCU's head of higher education, said: "Staff have suffered year-on-year cuts in the value of their pay and have made it clear that enough is enough.

"We remain committed to trying to resolve this dispute and the employers now have until 3 December to sit down and positively engage with the unions. If they don't, then our members and those from our sister unions will be out on strike again, as well as continuing to work to contract."

At the time the unions announced plans to ballot members for strike action, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), which represents and negotiates on behalf of universities as employers, said it was "disappointed" with the move.

It has said that, on top of the 1% general pay rise, many university staff get other contributions which will increase pay by 3% overall.

UCEA said that, according to the latest available data, 378,250 people work in the sector and of these 29,538, or 7.8%, voted from the three unions. Around 17,800 voted in favour of strike action.

Members of three unions - UCU, Unison and Unite - took part in a one-day walkout on October 31, which saw lectures, libraries and university services cancelled, postponed or closed.

Union leaders claimed that many institutions across the country resembled "ghost towns" as their members joined picket lines.

But UCEA insisted that the strike had minimal impact.

The walkout affected 149 universities across the UK, according to the unions, with support services such as catering, cleaning and security hit alongside academic departments.

A UCEA spokesman said: "Ever since the initial consultation at the start of this year, UCEA's 150 participating UK higher education employers have continued to say that, given the challenging and uncertain operating environment, the 1% pay uplift is a good and sustainable offer and is at the limit of affordability.

"This, of course, sits on top of other pay elements totalling around 3% on pay. So any announcement of further industrial action is naturally disappointing. However, less than 5% of staff voted to support this and nine out of 10 of institutions reported "no to low" impact from the day of action on October 31.

"Our institutions tell us that the vast majority of staff understand the reality of the current environment and would not wish to harm their institutions, and especially their students. UCEA continues to say that it is willing to talk to the disputing trade unions so that we can explore together whether the dispute can be resolved."

Unite national officer for education Mike McCartney said: "We had a very successful joint union action on October 31 to highlight the five-year pay drought that our members have endured which has meant a 13% drop in their incomes since 2008.

"However, the employers have refused to budge from their hard line in refusing to recognise the contribution that the workforce makes to the excellent global reputation that Britain's universities currently enjoy.

"We hope that this latest strike will drive home the determination of our members to achieve a fair pay deal and focus the minds of the employers that they need to get around the table promptly to negotiate in a constructive and positive manner."