University of Nottingham UCU

Below you’ll find the text of our strike fund letter that we’re distributing to union branches and individuals. you’ll find bank detail for the strike find below too. You can download the letter  as a pdf here: UoN UCU hardship fund letter.

Please share in your networks!

Dear Friend

UCU at the University of Nottingham begins sustained strike action on Thursday 22^nd February and we’re asking for your solidarity in supporting our members through the strike by donating to our local hardship fund.

Why are we striking?

We’re striking because our pensions are under attack. The latest proposals would mean a cut of up to 40% in the future value of our pensions, hitting younger and less secure members hardest.

And we’re not alone in this. Across the public sector, we’re seeing attacks on pensions, jobs and terms and conditions. Winning this battle would strengthen all of us.

14 days of strike action are planned in February and March. This sustained strike action is necessary because shorter strikes across the public sector haven’t worked. We believe we can win this time because we have a strong mandate from members and the support of our students’ union, and because a strike of this duration will have a significant impact on the work of the university.

Why do we need a hardship fund?

A long strike means a massive hit to wages. Some of us can afford to take that hit; others can’t. We don’t just represent well-paid lecturers; a lot of our members are administrators and researchers on much lower wages and, increasingly, casualization means that many others are on precarious short term or hourly paid contracts.

We’ve set up a local fund to help members who face real hardship as a result of taking strike action, prioritising those on the most precarious contracts. This won’t replace their lost wages in full but it will help with the basics. The branch has put in funds and we’re asking our better paid members to contribute, but we need your help too.

How can you help?

• Donate to the hardship fund using these details:

Unity Trust Bank

Account name: UCU Nottingham LA63, Hardship Fund
Sort code 60 83 01
Account code 20346359

Please use your organisation’s name or your name as reference.

Please also send us an email so we know who to thank and how to get in touch with you. If you can tweet that you’ve supported us too, that would be great: #USS #StrikeforUSS

• Visit the picket line (7am – 11am at the main entrances to the university on every day of the strike – 22^nd, 23^rd, 26^th, 27^th and 28^th February; 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th March)
• Write to your MP and to Shearer West, the university’s Vice Chancellor, to express your support for the strike

Thanks, as always, for your solidarity.

University of Nottingham UCU Branch Committee

Our  pensions support official Chris Mason gave a seminar on the state of USS last week. It can be downloaded here as requested by members.

Picketing on the days  we are taking strike action is an important way of making our strength visible.

We are using a google form to do this as it is secure and enables us to have easy access to the information we need each day. If you have problems, just contact the branch office at awilliams@ucu.org.uk

Sign up here.

You can find the UCU guidance on picketing here.

Please tweet (tag us @UoNUCU!) and share these any way you can! You can download them as pdfs to put on your door at the links below.

Please click the links below to download posters with statements from:

APM

APM2

Councillor

fixed term research

hourly paid

is

lecturer

MP

permanent research

professor

retired member

SU

Please find here the updated FAQs, with specific guidance on some new issues incorporated into the previous document. If you cannot find an answer to your query in the UCU guidance , please get in touch with the branch office on (0115) 95 14976  or 07462 400617

There will be a series of local meetings on the current USS pension struggle for UCU members and non-members next week (see below). The ballot on industrial action will close on 19 January (see https://www.ucu.org.uk/uss). If you have not yet filled in your ballot papers, please do so now urgently and send them off. Should you have misplaced or not received them, you can order replacement ballot papers here.

The meetings will be held as follows:

Monday 8 January, 1 to 2 p.m. in Room Trent B40 University Park with Matt Green (Branch President);

Tuesday 9 January, 1 to 2 p.m. in Room Pope A1 University Park with Bram Mertens (Branch Secretary);

Tuesday, 9 January, 1 to 2 p.m. in Room C45 Dearing Building Jubilee Campus with Andreas Bieler (Branch Vice President);

Wednesday, 10 January, 1 to 2 p.m. in Room A18 NMS Medical School with Bram Mertens (Branch Secretary);

Wednesday, 10 January, 1 to 2 p.m. in Room C1 KM King’s Meadow Campus with Andreas Bieler (Branch Vice President).

Thursday, 11 January, 1 to 2 p.m. in A30 Vet School Sutton Bonington Campus with Cyril Rauch (UCU committee member).

You can download a copy of the publication we produced and launched at our recent Living Wage campaign event here:

Living Close to the Edge D7-1 final