Unions unite to fight role analysis

THE COUNTRY's two largest lecturing unions have joined forces in a bid to sink a new staff role analysis scheme. The Association of University Teachers and lecturers' union Natfhe agreed last Friday to resist any attempts by employers to impose the new Higher Education Role Analysis (Hera) scheme.

The scheme, which is basically a computerised system for rating the work done by university staff, is to be piloted in six institutions. These are Heriot Watt, Hull, Oxford Brookes, University of Wales College of Medicine, the London Institute and Westhill College of Higher Education. The unions fear that Hera is unsuitable and will lead to a faulty system of job evaluation. They say they will consider running ballots for action in the pilot institutions. Letters, page 15