Open University workers in Milton Keynes strike over pensions

Dozens of staff at the open university are striking over the threat of cuts to their pensions.

They say Universities UK (UUK) and the OU are proposing to slash their “reasonable” pension to “a terrible gamble on the stock exchange.”

Nationally tens of thousands of OU workers are joining the 15 days of strike action.

They say the new pension proposals will leave them £10,000 a year worse off.

“We’ve had some great support over the past few days... People who are not in the union are still supporting us,” said a local spokesman.

The protestors are urging people to write to their MP urging that UUK engages in meaningful negotiations to end the dispute.

UUK says there is a £6.1billion shortfall in the superannuation scheme.