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Heriot-Watt University lecturers embark on industrial action

28 February 2011

Members of the UCU at Heriot-Watt University are starting industrial action after the institution's management refused to negotiate with the union.

Staff say they have been left with no choice but to take the action after the management introduced a new performance development review (PDR) without proper negotiation with the union. The industrial action will see UCU members boycott the PDR, because the consultation process surrounding the PDR merely consisted of the management informing unions it was introducing the new process.

The union asserts that the new process has lost any real focus on developing staff and aims instead to monitor performance and increase the crude tick box management culture at the university.

In the recent ballot of UCU members, 83.6% of those who voted for industrial action.

UCU Scottish official, Mary Senior, said: 'The revised performance development review completely ignores the issue of academic freedom and our members fear it will be used to threaten and bully staff.

'Our members do not take industrial action lightly, but they have shown their strength of feeling against the imposition of the review and the failure of management to negotiate with UCU. They will now boycott this process until management withdraws it or replaces it with a scheme that is implemented following negotiation with the union.

'We are seeing crude performance management systems being introduced in a number of institutions in Scotland. Whilst the union is not opposed to professional development, it is crucial that such systems are negotiated with unions, and value the diverse nature of academic teaching and research.'

Last updated: 11 December 2015