SENIOR University of Southampton staff are to blame for the cancellation of a science and engineering day because they provoked strikes by attacking pensions, the University and College Union (UCU) said yesterday.

The event at the university, scheduled for Saturday March 10, had to be cancelled while staff prepare to take industrial action over the next four weeks.

The dispute centres on higher education bosses’ plans to slash the benefits of the Universities Superannuation Scheme pension scheme, which, the UCU says, would leave a typical lecturer almost £10,000 a year worse off in retirement.