University workers will vote on whether to take strike action later this month over a "miserly" 1 per cent pay offer - their fifth year in a row of real-terms pay cuts.

The University and College Union (UCU) confirmed yesterday it will start balloting its members next Wednesday and could launch industrial action in October.

Academics have not received a pay rise since October 2008, when they were handed a four-year freeze which has left them 13 per cent worse off on average.

And despite universities racking up operating surpluses of over £1 billion last year and £1.2bn in 2011, bosses made higher education staff another below-inflation offer.

UCU head of higher education Michael MacNeil said: "Employers can afford to pay their staff more than the miserly 1 per cent on the table but they are making a calculated choice not to."

The union pointed out overall staff costs have fallen while student numbers have held up despite the rise in tuition fees.

Mr MacNeil added: "Those in charge are cynically using a more competitive funding environment to justify driving down terms and conditions and pay for the majority of staff.

"At a time when staff have been under great pressure to improve the student experience and workloads have increased, they have had their pay held down."

UCU's members could also be joined by non-academic higher education staff, who are being ballotted by the Unison and Unite unions.

But a majority of National Union of Students (NUS) leaders voted against a proposal to offer solidarity at a meeting of its executive this week.

Black students officer Aaron Kiely explained: "The argument put against it was that we can't have blanket support for industrial action because it could damage our students."

He said that "having discussions which are hostile towards trades unions" was "bizarre" and "embarassing" just a week after NUS president Toni Pearce had addressed TUC Congress.

"We should be clear that we support the trade union movement," added Mr Kiely.

However, Ms Pearce said: "It would clearly have been premature for us to vote yesterday to support industrial before ongoing