► Strong and Active Unions
STRONG AND ACTIVE UNIONS
EVENTS:
‘Fighting Unions’ forum – Thursday 15th November, 4pm in Illusion (SU)
Defend the NHS demonstration, called by UNISON – Saturday 3rd November, Central London
Why we need a strong student union:
Active campaigning, political debate and a broad and radical student movement are central to a successful student union, and a successful national campaign to defend our education system.
Higher education is under attack: top up fees threaten equal access and leave students saddled with even higher amounts of debt, whilst compromising our ability to achieve our potential in our courses as we have to work to pay to stay at uni.
At the same time, business interests are creeping onto campuses at the expense of our education quality, where profit is placed above course satisfaction and creating the most qualified graduates and students are increasingly referred to as ‘customers’.
What are unions about?
Unions, both student unions and trade unions, are about representing and defending their member’s rights both on an individual level such as working to win discrimination cases and representing members in disciplinaries and appeals against their university or employer, and on a national and international basis, to stand in solidarity and fight for the rights of students and workers around the world.
Lessons from abroad…
Students in France and Greece have shown that radical student movements involving rallies, open meetings and debates, and demonstrations can win major changes.
Greece, 2006: Protests and the occupation of around 240 university departments across Greece forced back government plans to allow private universities that would charge fees into their education system.
France, 2006: 1000s of students across universities in France joined high school students and workers in protests against an employment law that enabled employers to sack young workers, under the age of 26, without giving a reason.
Student assemblies were set up and voted to occupy colleges, including the renowned Sorbonne University, forcing the government scrap the law.
And from trade unions…
CWU – The communications workers union:
The NUS recently voted in favour of showing support for the postal workers strikes, and to stand in solidarity with their struggle.
The postal workers have been striking over wage cuts, cuts to pensions and over the attacks on public services across the sector. Their fight represents a wider movement against the funding cuts in many services, including welfare, education and healthcare.
