UCU vice president Vicky Blake at end-of-picket rally 25 November 2019

Vicky Blake’s rousing speech on why this strike is so important for us all.

UCU Hardship + Fighting Fund Scenarios:

Members who will experience financial difficulty as a result of strike deductions have access to two sources of assistance from the union:

UCU Fighting Fund, administered by UCU HQ
Leeds UCU Hardship Fund, administered by Leeds UCU officers

The two funds operate slightly differently. Leeds UCU has designed our local hardship fund to complement and extend available support.

The following scenarios illustrate the ways in which our Local Hardship Fund and UCU Fighting Fund work together, and should help members resolve most queries they have about these schemes.

Please also read the wording of the [motion] we passed at the 3 December General Meeting which explains how the UCU Fighting Fund and the Local Hardship Fund work. Additional guidance (to be taken in conjunction with advice on this page) is [here] and [here].

What can I claim from each fund?

Remember we have designed our local Hardship Fund to complement the UCU Fighting Fund.

UCU Fighting Fund:

UCU Fighting Fund for members earning under £30k:

The UCU Fighting Fund allows members who earn under £30,000 per year (gross) to claim the sum of up to £75 per day, for the second and subsequent days of strike action.

UCU Fighting Fund for members earning over £30k:

The UCU Fighting Fund allows members who earn over £30,000 per year (gross) to claim the sum of up to £50 per day, for the third and subsequent days of strike action.

Claims from the UCU Fighting Fund are subject to a cap, which is currently set to a maximum of £500. This cap may be increased in the future.

Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund:

Claims from the Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund allows members to claim upto £150 for the first day of strike action and upto £75 for subsequent days of strike action. Claims are subject to a cap of £1000 for the duration of the disputes. This cap may also be increased in the future. not subject to a specified cap. , so dDecisions will be made in accordance with the principles set out in the motion passed at the General Meeting on 3 DecemberXXX, taking into account the total available funds. We continue to raise money for the Local Hardship Fund – you can donate to the Local Hardship Fund by making a bank transfer to UCU Leeds LA29 (Hardship Fund), Unity Trust Bank, Account Number: 20391511, Sort Code: 60-83-01. please see [here] to make donations if you are able,

Content:

Member McStrike: Hourly paid (e.g. but not limited to a Teaching Assistant)
Member O’Union: Fixed term contract, concerns over impact of financial deductions especially given the contract end date is soon / no definite extension or further solid job offer
Member Solidarity: Part time, permanent contract; financial concerns given reliance on part time income
Member Great-Placards: Permanent contract, financial concerns over strike deductions
But how do I apply?
But when do I apply?

Hourly paid (e.g. but not limited to a Teaching Assistant) earning under £30k per year (gross)

The first 1/5th of a week’s pay (so one days for anyone full time / salaried) would usually need to have been lost for someone to claim from the national Fighting Fund. That has a daily cap of £75 per member earning under £30k (cap of £50 per member earning over £30k) and £500 over the 814 days of strike. BUT our local hardship fund will also be prioritise support for our hardest hit members, including the first day of action for our most casualised and financially precarious colleagues. So, an hourly paid member (e.g. TA) should make claims from the local hardship fund to begin with (to cover the first day of action) and then the UCU fighting fund from after 1/5th income has gone. But if you lose more than £75 per day, you can apply to the Leeds UCU Hardship fund for the difference.

Worked example: Member McStrike is hourly paid as a TA and is going to be deep in the muck if they get all their deductions made unless they get help. This is their usual working pattern in week one of the strike:

WEEK ONE: 5 days of action

Monday: hours to the value of £50 (BUT STRIKE)

Tuesday: no hours

Wednesday: hours to the value of £90 (BUT STRIKE)

Thursday: hours to the value of £50 (BUT STRIKE)

Friday: hours to the value of £78 (BUT STRIKE)

Their total weekly pay they’d have been due that week is £268. A member that strikes all of these days hits the 1/5th weekly earnings mark at £53.60. They can apply for assistance from the two funds as follows under the rules:

Monday: Claim £50 from the Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund
Tuesday: No claim needed
Wednesday: Two claims!

Claim £71.40 from the UCU Fighting Fund, taking into account the 1/5th of a week’s earnings point is at £53.60
Claim £18.60 remaining loss from the Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund

Thursday: Claim £50 from the UCU Fighting Fund
Friday: Two claim components!

Claim £75 from the UCU Fighting Fund
Claim £3 from the Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund

For this week, Member McStrike will add the following amounts to their two claims:

UCU Fighting Fund: £196.40
Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund: £71.60

The member in this example can continue to claim from the UCU Fighting Fund for the following week (in which we struck for three days) up to the daily cap of £75 (subject to the £500 overall cap) and the Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund if necessary. For example, if they had been due to work the same pattern of hours:

WEEK TWO: 3 days of action

Monday: hours to the value of £50 (BUT STRIKE)

Tuesday: no hours (NB STRIKE)

Wednesday: hours to the value of £90 (BUT STRIKE)

The member hit the 1/5th of their weekly earnings point in the previous week. As there is a cap of £75 per day from the national fund, in week two Member McStrike is able to claim up to £75 of their losses per day of this week from the UCU Fighting Fund, and to apply to the local hardship fund for the rest, as follows:

Monday: Claim £50 from the UCU Fighting Fund
Tuesday: No claim needed
Wednesday: Two claims!

Claim £75 from the UCU Fighting Fund
Claim £15 remaining loss from the Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund

For this week, Member McStrike will add the following amounts to their two claims:

UCU Fighting Fund: £190
Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund: £15

We will help them to coordinate claims for this week from a combination of the UCU Fighting Fund and the local Hardship Fund. Across the TWO weeks in which we had strike action, Member McStrike will apply to claim the following:

UCU Fighting Fund: £271.40
Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund: £86.60

2. Fixed term contract, earning over £30k (gross), has concerns over the impact of financial deductions especially given the contract end date is soon / no definite extension or further solid job offer

Member O’Union is really worried because they’re on a precarious contract with no guarantee of ongoing employment. They are worried about the financial impact of the strike – while they might just about manage for a bit now, if they don’t get a job offer for after their contract end date, they will be in serious financial trouble.

In this situation: Member O’Union can make claims for support with their deductions made for strike days 1-2 locally, and they will still be able to claim from day 3 from the UCU Fighting Fund if they need to. Member O’Union will need to make their claim in close communication with the branch officers. The officers, by clearly distinguishing which support is coming from which fund, will be able to confirm that the member is not claiming for the same loss twice.

N.B. If the member can demonstrate that they are in financial dire straits beyond what the national Fighting Fund can cover from day 3 (with a cap of £50 per day) then the branch can assess them for extra provision, noting this can take the member to no more than they would have earned per day (for HMRC compliance).

3. Part time, permanent contract earning under £30k; financial concerns given reliance on part time income

Member Solidarity will be hit by a combination of deductions that disproportionately affect their overall income, owing to how their part time hours are spread across the week (N.B. this may include members who work compressed hours). Although they have a permanent contract, this leaves them financially vulnerable.

In this situation, the first 1/5th of a week’s pay (equivalent to one day for anyone full time / salaried) would usually need to have been lost for someone to claim from the UCU Fighting Fund. For someone part time earning under £30k (gross), the UCU Fighting Fund may kick in before the point of the ‘Day 2’ point that is in place for full-time salaried members. The UCU Fighting Fund has a daily cap of £7550 per member and £500 (subject to review in January).

BUT our local hardship fund will also be able to support members in this type of precarious situation, kicking in for those worst affected by strike deductions on the first day (or 1/5th of a working week equivalent). So, a part-time member who will be seriously financially affected from the first day (or 1/5th of weekly earning equivalent) owing to disproportionate impact of deductions can also make claims from the local hardship fund for that first day / first 1/5th of a week’s income lost. Members who would still be disproportionately impacted from Day 2 / after 1/5th onwards may also decide to apply to both.

4. Permanent contract, financial concerns over strike deductions

At Leeds, Member Great-Placards is on an ‘ok but not amazing’ salary, but with a permanent contract.

Member Great-Placards earns just over £30k (gross) but is in a panic because of childcare costs that can’t be refunded even if the places are cancelled during the strike. They are worried about whether those kinds of concerns will be taken into account by the UCU Fighting Fund because they understand precarious folks will be prioritised and they have a permanent contract. They are aware their branch may be able to look at their situation.

In this situation: Member Great-Placards can make claims for Days 1 and 2 locally up, and they will still be able to claim from Day 3 nationally if they need to. Member Great-Placards will need to make their claim in close communication with the branch officers who, by clear separation of which support is coming from which fund, they will be able to confirm that they are not claiming for the same loss twice.

N.B. If the member can demonstrate that they are in financial dire straits beyond what the UCU Fighting Fund can cover (with a cap of £50 per day) then the branch can assess them for extra provision, but noting this can take them to no more than they would have earned per day (for HMRC compliance).

5. But how do I apply?

Please get in touch with Leeds UCU if you are applying to a combination of both the UCU Fighting Fund and the Leeds UCU Local Hardship Fund.

You will need to provide evidence:

That you took strike action (screenshot of HR self-service system / email sent to industrialaction@leeds.ac.uk)
The amount of money deducted from your salary / lost through not logging hourly-paid hours (copy of pay slip for salaried staff / a rota / timetable / other document confirming what you would have otherwise worked for hourly paid staff).
Any circumstances you would like taken into account (e.g. disproportionate impact on part time hours (including compressed hours); hourly-paid; precarious contract; financial vulnerability)

Note: hourly paid staff should include hours they would have otherwise spent doing prep/marking/other paid activities built into their contract on strike days.

The portal for the national fund is [here]

Guidance to accompany claims to the UCU Fighting Fund is [here]

Applications to the local hardship fund: download the form [here]

6. But when do I apply?

a) If you are on a salaried contract, you will see deductions made from the January payroll. This means you will be able to supply evidence of the deductions made using your payslip when it is issued in advance of the pay going into your account. We will make sure to remind all members multiple times leading up to this point, and we will be working closely with you and HQ to ensure everything makes sense.

b) If you are hourly paid, meaning you submit a weekly time sheet, you will need to make your claim immediately. We will work closely with you and HQ to ensure everything makes sense.

University of Leeds UCU

UCU vice president Vicky Blake at end-of-picket rally 25 November 2019

Nita Sanghera

Extraordinary general meeting 22 January: disputes + organisational change policy

A response to the second JEP report

Open letter to research funders

Applying to the Hardship Fund – Scenarios