Following Strike Action
What to do after strike action, including how make a claim for financial support.
On this page:
Financial Support for Strike Action
Below we give details on how you can apply to the central UCU fighting fund, the local Salary Sharing Scheme, and the local Sheffield UCU hardship fund. We recommend that the first port of call for members who need financial support be the central fighting fund- UCU nationally has vastly more resources than we do locally.
We know that national strike pay may still leave some members experiencing hardship, however, either because of the level of deductions or because of their personal situation, and our local hardship fund is very healthy and able to support members in these circumstances.
Most importantly, if you need financial support in order to be able to participate in strike action, then we want you to know that you are encouraged to apply. Our members are in a wide array of financial situations, and we do not want these to be an impediment to your participation in this collective action.
Please email us at ucu@sheffield.ac.uk if you have any questions.
Note that the clock has reset for any strike fund claims for the beginning of action in November 2022, i.e. members can claim for up to 11 days again from the second day of action (25th November 2022).
UCU Fighting Fund
Details relating to the National fighting fund are available here.
Members earning below £30,000 pa are able to claim £75 per day following the second day of action, and members earning more than this are able to claim £50 per day.
Apply to the National Fighting Fund
Salary Sharing Scheme (Marking and Assessment Boycott only)
SUCU Hardship Fund
The SUCU hardship fund is made up of solidarity donations and branch funds, and is designed for members who are disproportionately hit financially by taking part in industrial action, e.g:
- sole-income households,
- members on hourly-paid,
- part-time or fixed-term contracts,
- people who have recently had periods of lower pay due to parental/adoption/sick leave or other industrial action;
- or due to other personal circumstances.
Claims from lower paid members and those on insecure contracts will be prioritised.
Apply to the SUCU hardship fund.
All information will be treated as strictly confidential. It will be seen only by the SUCU administrator and the SUCU Committee members responsible for agreeing payments.
Which fund should I apply to?
- Where eligible, members should first claim from the national Fighting Fund, administered by UCU centrally.
- If necessary to cover additional losses, members should claim from the local Salary Sharing Scheme, administered by Sheffield UCU.
- If necessary following applications to the national fighting fund and salary sharing schemes, members experiencing financial hardship as a result of deductions should apply to the Hardship Fund, administered by Sheffield UCU. This fund is in a position to respond more rapidly than the national fighting fund. If a member requires an urgent response (for example, to cover bills or rent) they can apply to this fund before receiving an outcome from the Fighting Fund, and make a subsequent repayment to the Hardship Fund when payment from the Fighting Fund and/or Salary Sharing Scheme is credited.
- For hourly paid workers, we recommend that you apply to the Hardship Fund rather than the Salary Sharing Scheme (see guidance for hourly paid workers undertaking MAB).
Donations to the fighting fund, salary sharing, and the hardship fund
This section contains information on how to donate to the central UCU fighting fund, the local Salary Sharing Scheme, and the local Sheffield UCU hardship fund. If you know any organisations or individuals who might be in a position to donate to either or both, please do let them know this information.
We want members to be financially supported so they are able to take part in industrial action without impediment, and a strong fighting fund is crucial to our action.
We ask members who have a dispensation not to strike (due to e.g. long term illness or parental leave) to consider donating your earnings for strike days to either the central UCU or local hardship fund.
Details on donating to the central UCU fighting fund can be found at this link.
If you wish to donate to the Sheffield UCU hardship fund, you can do so using these details:
- Account name: UCU Sheffield 70 Hardship Fund
- Sort code: 60-83-01
- Account number: 20391171
- Account Type: Business
- Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Notifying the University
Prior to strike action
It is your legal right to NOT formally notify anyone in advance that you are intending to take strike action. If your manager asks you in advance or during action, you can and should reply that your union has advised you that you shouldn’t answer this.
After strike action
You will need to notify the University that you took part in strike action. If your manager asks you after strike action whether you took it, you must answer them truthfully.
ASOS notification
We recommend members not fill in the ASOS notification form. If ASOS actions make it important for members to complete these forms, we will let members know, and also update this guidance.