A major crisis is unfolding at ARU-Peterborough, where it is apparent that Social Work Education is being sabotaged. Professional standards are under threat, our workload agreement has been systematically ignored and members are being placed under unbearable strain and made ill. Students have taken the lead and mounted protests against institutional failure.
We have written to our Vice Chancellor, Professor Roderick Watkins, calling upon him to intervene. With no meaningful progress, UCU members have taken the decision to go to ballot in support of an all-out indefinite strike. (See our correspondence with the VC here.) UCU wants to avoid unnecessary open conflict. However, we are not going to tolerate any further temporising or the degradation of standards. It is not good for our members, our students, and our university. The crisis is here and now.
We very much hope than an amicable solution can be reached, protecting students, colleagues and standards.
ARU UCU Branch Executive
