Leeds UCU has written an online Open Letter to research funders, explaining the two current HE disputes (on USS pensions and on the Four Fights) and asking them to:

• Write to the Senior Team of Universities UK (UUK) and to the Board of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) and urge them to engage in meaningful negotiations over pensions, and pay and equality (respectively) with UCU.
• Write to the Vice-Chancellors of institutions at which they have awarded scholarships, grants, or bursaries with the same request. Furthermore, demand respectful behaviour towards the staff and graduate students participating in ASOS and no financial deductions of their salary for working to contract.
• Make a public statement in support of the staff and graduate students taking industrial action and ASOS and call for an urgent resolution of the disputes.
• Offer to extend application and reporting deadlines in order to accommodate the time lost by researchers taking strike action and ASOS.

We will collect signatures on this letter and will forward copies to each of the research funding bodies in the new year, with the signatures of the researchers funded by them.

Please sign this letter here including your name, position, funder and institution, following the layout of the examples included in the letter.

Please also encourage colleagues to sign it, whether or not they have been taking part in the industrial action. Colleagues at other universities are welcome to sign it too. Thank you!

(Advice from Leeds UCU on Action Short of a Strike as a researcher is included in our ASOS guidance document: www.leedsucu.org.uk/asos-guidance-from-leeds-ucu/)