College and university lecturers' union Natfhe has voted to ballot for strike action if its members are offered only a 3.5 per cent pay rise.
The union has not yet submitted its pay claim and its settlement date is not until September 1.
But the Universities and Colleges Employers Association has made a final offer of 3.5 per cent to each staff group making a claim, including academic staff in old universities, who are already being balloted for strikes.
A Natfhe spokesman said the pay claim for academics in new universities would be lodged immediately after its sector conference at the end of May and would demand a "substantial" offer within two weeks.
Failing receipt of that, and subject to conference approval, it would move to a strike ballot.
Peter Humphreys, chief executive of UCEA, said: "We have not yet had a claim from Natfhe and nor has any meeting yet been arranged. If they want to have a meeting to discuss the pay round for 1999 I will be delighted to respond."