Month: October 2025

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UCU Hardship Fund – Donations and Applications

Email sent to members on Thursday 30th October

Dear members,

Thank you for your continued solidarity and commitment throughout this period of industrial action. Our collective strength depends not only on participation but also on mutual support — ensuring that those most affected by pay deductions can continue to take part.

Maintaining a strong hardship fund is essential to sustaining effective action and sharing the financial burden fairly across the branch.

We recommend you save this email for future reference.

Hardship Fund Donations

Many members have chosen to focus strike activity on high-impact days while working on others. If you are not striking every day, we strongly encourage you to donate at least a quarter of your salary for the days you are working.

These donations directly support colleagues with heavy teaching or administrative workloads who are striking more frequently — helping everyone to stay the course.

Every contribution, no matter the size, strengthens our collective position and ensures no member is left behind.

Hardship Fund Applications

Once you have payslips showing strike-related deductions, you can apply for support from both the national UCU fighting fund and the local branch hardship fund.

National UCU Fighting Fund

Members can claim for up to 8 days of strike action:

  • £75/day for salaries under £30,000
  • £50/day for salaries over £30,000

Please note:

  • The cap applies to the entire dispute, including the July action.
  • Members cannot claim for the first three days of strike action.
  • You must apply to the national fund first before applying to the local fund.

Details on how to apply to the national fighting fund can be found here. 

Local UCU Hardship Fund

Thanks to the generosity of members and other branches, we are happy to report that we can offer members support at a rate similar to the national fund (which is obviously much better resourced!).

We will offer:

  • Up to £50 per day, capped at £600 total,
  • Covering the 42 days of action this term (Sep-Dec 2025).

Eligibility:

  • Members applying after the first phase ending on Friday 24 October must show deductions for at least 12 of the first 20 days.
  • Members applying after the second phase ending on Friday 12 December must show deductions for at least 20 of the 42 total days.
  • For part-time staff, both the required strike days and the cap are pro-rated.

Important:

  • Funds are limited and will be allocated for as long the resources last
  • Please only claim what you need, so we can prioritise members in greatest hardship.
  • Priority will be given to those facing the most acute financial pressure.

To apply to the local fund:
Fill out this google form. To do so, you will need:

  1. Copies of the relevant payslips showing strike deductions.
  2. Evidence that you have already applied to the national fund.
  3. Confirmation that you have struck for more than the required threshold for hardship applications
  4. Details of the bank account you wish to be credited.

Applications will be reviewed by a small team from the branch committee, including Tony Padilla (Treasurer) and Kitty Howarth (Branch Organiser).

Members with acute financial needs can request an immediate loan of up to £300 ahead of a full decision — please email the branch at uonucubranch@gmail.com and mark your email “Loan request.”

In exceptional cases of extreme hardship, additional funds or flexible payment arrangements may be considered — please include full details and justification in your application.

Thank you for your continued solidarity. Every donation and every act of mutual support helps to sustain our collective strength.

In solidarity, 

Tony Padilla

UoNUCU Branch Treasurer

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Challenging UoN complicity in enabling genocide!

Email sent to members on Monday 27th October

Dear all,

    Together with students from the Nottingham Camp for the Liberation of Palestine (NCLP), UCU has organised an open in-person event on what staff, students and wider society can do to challenge the University of Nottingham’s complicity in enabling genocide in Palestine. The event will take place on Wednesday, 29th October 2025 1-4 pm in Room B63, Law and Social Sciences Building, University Park. See below for further details. All are welcome!

Best,

                      Andreas (on behalf of the UCU Committee)

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Members meeting 30 October!

Original email sent to members on Wednesday 22nd October. Please see original email for Zoom link.

Dear members,

Thank you for your continued action, support, and solidarity. We are writing with a few key updates which are below, but also wanted to mention that last week we met with Alex Norris the MP for Nottingham North and Kimberley to discuss the dispute. Alex was due to speak at an event on campus but cancelled when we approached him, and he was shocked to hear about the proposed restructuring and the loss of jobs so far – he was also saddened to hear how much things have changed since he was taught by Andreas as an undergraduate in 2003! Alex has promised to speak with the Vice Chancellor about this, and while we will continue to lobby other local MPs, please consider writing to your MP mentioning the scale of potential redundancies.

Rally with the UCU General Secretary Thursday 23rd

We are ending this round of rallies with a bang. We have a great lineup of speakers including Jo Grady, the UCU general secretary, tomorrow. She is coming to show her solidarity to us and to speak about the National dispute. As usual we will be meeting in the Trent Courtyard at 12.40 before marching to Portland Steps for the speeches. Do please come along, in your numbers and show your anger.

Submission of next block of industrial action to the VC

Notification of our next block of industrial action was served to the VC this morning by our regional officer. Following your overwhelming rejection management’s opening offer, and the clear majority support for prioritising action this term the University has been notified of strike action on the following dates:

Monday 10th November – Friday 14th November

Monday 17th November – Friday 21st November

Monday 24th November , Tuesday 25th November

Monday 1st December – Friday 5th December

Monday 8th December – Friday 12th December

On Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th of November we will have big pickets in major entrances, Rallies in the Courtyard, Invited external guests, and a media presence. These particular dates have been chosen with key council meetings on Phase 2 in mind. All of these actions gives us the capacity to exert significant pressure on management, from without and within. 

Having served management the notice of the action today,  we will be writing to them to discuss the implications of it for students and staff and to explore resolutions that can avoid the damage this action has the potential to create, to rethink shrinking size and shape ideology. 

Members’ meeting Thursday 30th October 3-4pm

To discuss this second phase of action, including additional picket line days in November and December and to inform on any potential negotiations with management we have called a members’ meeting for next Thursday at 3pm (link in original email). It has been fantastic to hear from so many of you in recent meetings, so do please come along.

Finally,  some of you will have started to receive your ballots for the national dispute. Please vote in this, and please let your rep know once you have. 

In solidarity,

Lopa

(on behalf of branch committee).