UCU University of Leeds branch as a local industrial action hardship fund which works alongside and in addition to the UK-wide UCU fighting fund.
In short: members experiencing financial hardship due to taking industrial action can supplement hardship payments from the UK-wide fighting fund by applying to the local Hardship Fund for up to £150 for the first day of strike action and up to £75 for subsequent days, up to their total level of financial losses or £1000, whichever is lower.
Applying
Members should apply to the UCU national fighting fund for support as their first port of call. Alongside this, or in addition, you can request extra support from the local hardship fund up to your actual net loss due to strike action if experiencing particular hardship.
Examples of particular hardship include being low-paid (e.g. small fractional contract; or hourly-paid equivalent to only a small fraction) AND that the strike days disproportionately affect you (e.g. they’re the only day(s) you work; they’re the day(s) you work most; pay lost by striking is compounded by irreversible childcare costs; you’re an international member repaying visa loans to the university; pay lost compounds particular financial difficulties)
The application form for making a claim to the local hardship fund can be downloaded here (Word document format; for an alternative format please email ucu@leeds.ac.uk to let us know how we can best present it for you.)
Around times of strike action, the branch runs drop-ins to help members to complete the application form if they are having difficulties.
Donating
Donations to the strike funds enable us to support members who would otherwise struggle to take strike action and to spread the financial impact of strike action more equitably.
We would especially encourage you to donate if you were unable to go on strike (because, for example, you were abroad).
Donations to the Local Hardship Fund can be made by direct bank transfer to: UCU Leeds LA29 (Hardship Fund), Unity Trust Bank, Account Number: 20391511, Sort Code: 60-83-01.
You can donate to the national UCU Fighting Fund here: https://www.ucu.org.uk/fightingfund or by sending a cheque payable to UCU and marking the back of the cheque “donation to UCU Fighting Fund” to UCU, Carlow Street, London NW1 7LH.
The rules for the Leeds UCU Hardship Fund were passed by a motion to a General Meeting on 3 December 2019. The full motion can be downloaded here: https://www.leedsucu.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Motion-Revising-Terms-of-Leeds-UCU-Local-Hardship-Fund.docx.
This page was last updated on 6 November 2023