Strike hardship fund

The UCU recognises the sacrifices we have made when supporting the industrial action. For some people, the financial hit has been particularly hard so there is a National UCU Fighting Fund that can help.

The Committee of the Aston UCU branch has agreed that compensatory payments can also be made from the Local Hardship Fund to members whose pay has been reduced because of the member’s participation in the action. The UCU Branch endeavours to give priority of payment to members most in need.

Members will be eligible to claim from day 1 of strike action up to a maximum of £50 per day, but please apply for the National Fund first.

Eligibility for the local hardship fund

To be eligible to make a claim against the Fund, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a current and fully paid up UCU member

  • Have taken part in the industrial action called by the union.

  • For each day of action to have been docked pay.

  • Be able to supply a scanned copy, or photocopy, of your pay slip(s) showing the gross amount of pay deducted in respect of each day’s participation in the action, plus a copy of your payslip for the month(s) preceding strike action, to provide a baseline from which to calculate your loss – highlighting basic pay as opposed to additional payments, such as overtime etc.

  • If you are an hourly-paid member of staff who must submit a timesheet to be paid, please submit a copy of your previous payslip, and your contract/timetable showing the days you were contracted to work, i.e. If you usually submit timesheets to be paid, and would have received November wages in December, please ensure you make this clear when contacting us, so we can process these payments first.

  • Your combined applications to UCU accredited hardship funds (local and national) will not exceed your total loss of income

When you submit a claim, your membership will be checked, and no claim can be met for members who are in arrears of subscriptions. Before you claim, therefore, check here to ensure you are paying the correct level of subscription according to your earnings and are up to date with your subscriptions. Note that the local subscription is an additional £1 per month.

If you cannot locate your membership number, please email membership@ucu.org.uk.

How can claims be submitted?

To submit a claim please download the claim form and email the completed form and supporting evidence to raig1@aston.ac.uk with ‘Aston UCU Hardship Fund’ in the subject line. On receipt, we will calculate the maximum you could claim, and check this figure with you.

Timing of claims:

You have until the 18th Feb 2023 (for action relating to November 2022) to submit your claim.

You have until the 18th May 2023 (for action relating to February - March 2023) to submit your claim.

How much will be paid to each claimant?

A claim arising from this dispute will only be paid if there are sufficient funds and if it is received by the deadline. The actual award will depend on the total claims, so may be less than claimed.

The Aston UCU hardship fund payments will be calculated on the assumption that members have claimed everything they are entitled to from the NATIONAL FIGHTING FUND – PLEASE CLAIM THE MAXIMUM FROM NATIONAL.