Newcastle and Durham universities are facing eight days of strike action amid a dispute over pensions, pay and working conditions of staff, the University and College Union has announced.
Thousands of North East students are set to be affected by fresh walkouts across 60 universities in the UK.
A total of 85% of UCU members at Newcastle University polled voted for strikes over changes to USS pensions and 78% backed striking over pay and conditions.
Meanwhile, 80% of Durham University staff voted to strike over pensions and 74% chose to walkout over pay and conditions.
It means that both universities will be among those to strike from Monday, November 25 through to Wednesday December 4.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: "Strike action is a last resort, but staff have made it quite clear that enough is enough and universities can be in no doubt about the strength of feeling.
"The first wave of strikes will hit institutions later this month unless universities start talking to us seriously about how they are going to deal with rising pension costs and declining pay and conditions."
Union members will also begin “action short of a strike” when they return to work.
This involves working strictly to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and refusing to reschedule lectures lost to strike action.
The announcement comes after universities were brought to a standstill last year by unprecedented strikes over pensions.
