Wirral NEU Industrial Hardship Fund

Under the NEU Local Financial Regulations, Wirral Districts has set up a local industrial action hardship fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance to a Wirral member who has, or will, suffer adverse financial consequences because of losing pay during NEU authorised strike action.

This fund is available to all Wirral NEU members who undertake strike action as part of our dispute to secure a fully funded pay increase.

Applications to the fund will be reviewed by a panel of local officers who will consider the size of the pot and the individual circumstances of the members requesting support.  We will consider each application but will only be able to make an award when  a member whose circumstances cause a greater hardship for them or any dependent member of their family than that suffered by other NEU members.

Members seeking grants may apply by completing a form and sending it to the Secretary of the District setting out the circumstances in which the application is made, and the extent of the hardship suffered or likely to be suffered. 

When applying to the fund, you will need to demonstrate that you, or any dependent member of their family, will suffer financial consequences which are significantly greater than those faced by other members in Wirral District. 

This may be because: 

• The member is the sole or main earner in the household

• The member has sole caring responsibility for a dependent or dependents 

• The member’s partner is also taking strike action (as an NEU member or as a member of another trade union) which is unsustained, and they are unable to claim under a hardship fund. 

 • The member discloses other financial consequences for them which are particular to their personal and family circumstances