THE University of Portsmouth faces the prospect of a strike ballot over plans for a “punitive pension change” that will create a “two-tier” workforce, the University and College Union warned today.

Under the proposals, new workers are to be hired through a wholly owned subsidiary company that will deny them access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).

These are “drastically inferior” to the industry standard defined benefit pension schemes they will no longer be able to access from August 1, said the union.

It comes just months after the university put 597 staff at risk of redundancy.

All post-92 universities, including Portsmouth, offer TPS and LGPS to their staff, added UCU. 

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Our members at Portsmouth are furious with the lack of respect management is showing its workforce and they have the full backing of the union in any industrial action they choose to take.”

A university statement said: “The University of Portsmouth is responding to the significant challenges faced by the UK higher education sector to enable us to continue to provide our students with a gold-rated education and continue to generate globally important research and innovation, while ensuring our long-term sustainability.”