Southampton Solent strike begins next week in fight over fire & rehire pension attack

Staff will down tools on Monday 9 February and Tuesday 17 February, with pickets planned at the Spark Building and Michael Andrews Building (both at East Park Terrace, Southampton, SO14 0YN) between 8am and 1pm on both days.

An overwhelming 93% of those who voted in the ballot backed strike action on a turnout of 72%.

In December (2025) Solent moved 286 staff off of the university's books and into a subsidiary company, Solent University Services Ltd (SUSL), forcing them out of the industry standard Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and onto a scheme that allows Solent to pay less into staff pensions, leaving them poorer.

University management told the 286 staff to email HR by "close of business" if they "object to the transfer" and that their employment would then cease immediately. The university has now stated its intention is to also move academic staff out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme by the end of this academic year.

UCU believes that forcing staff out of the Teachers' Pension Scheme and only allowing access to a defined contribution scheme, such as the 'Solent Pension Plan', could lead to the income from their pension being reduced by approximately a third.  The union estimates this means academic staff at Southampton Solent University could be up to £10,000 worse off per year in retirement.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'Strike action is a last resort for our members, but we will not stand by while staff are forced out of their preferred pension scheme. The vice-chancellor must see sense, start respecting his staff, and begin working with UCU to protect pensions. Our members have the full weight of the national union behind them in defending their income in retirement, and we urge management to do the right thing and change course to avoid disruption on campus.'

Solent branch president Steve Desmond said: 'By pulling out of the national standard Teachers' Pension Scheme, Solent is undermining standards across the entire sector. Unless Solent abandons these plans, it will face serious industrial disruption this month and long-term damage to its reputation.'