the working people. Control must lie with the community, students and staff. At times of progressive struggle in the community, universities and colleges must open up their facilities to those who need them. The struggles of students can only be solved outside the college. So students need to build alliances with the campaigning organisations of workers accept low pay and wages related to productivity. Unemployment also produces an unorganised layer of the working class. We demand an end to this divide. We are for the right to work. wage. The rich tell us we can live on aa1,600 benefit a year. Instead we need a wage level agreed by ordinary working class people. We are for the unity of workers. students and the unemployed in campaigns against the bosses and the Conservative austerity programme. Socialist Outlook, a paper in solidarity with the Fourth International - the worldwide revolutionary organisation founded by Leon Trotsky and other socialist opponents of continuation of Trotsky's tradition, unites socialists in more than 50 countries. We stand for a revolutionary transformation of society and a pluralist, socialist democracy of society, we stand for the building of a mass revolutionary world party, with sections in every country worldwide. Youth and students will have a crucial role to play in the Think about our ideas. Join us. Unemployment is used as threat by the bosses to make Working or not, everyone should receive a minimum LIBERATION now! is written by young supporters of The United Secretariat of the Fourth International, as the In orderto effect this necessary change in the structure Oxford Polytechnic went into occupation at the end of the last academic year. Theytook over one of the college buildings and held it for a week.
Students at the polytechnic felt forced to take direct action against the polytechnic management. They felt the action was necessary due to the increase in student numbers and no increase resources. This policy had resulted in chronic over crowding. This, along with lowering the high canteen prices and improving library facilities were the key demands of the occupation.
Students also felt that the students union had failed them. The Student Union executive lead by Tracy Neale (now NUS National Treasurer) was supporting only minimal action.
Within 24 hours they were arguing that the students should leave. The executive also used bureaucratic means to ensure they did all the negotiating with the management rather than students elected by the occupation.
200 students voted to go into occupation. By the beginning of the following week a meeting of 300 students voted overwhelmingly to continue the occupation The majority of students had not previously been involved in student politics and many were mature students or women.
Trade Union support on the campus was strong. NALGO's local government workers, NATHE's lecturers and porters and cleaners from NUPE fully supported the occupation and its demands. Messages of support were received from other col leges, unions, the Oxford East Labour Party and Tony Benn MP.
The occupation was the longest in the polytechnic's history and ended in an agreement with no victimisations. It was also agreed that there would be 'extensive negotiations' between the student's union and director and chair of governors when the occupation was over.
The directors issued a press statement recognising the occupation demands as reasonable The occupation must be judged a success. There now exists a group of students committed to ensuring that the demands are fought for. and are prepared to take direct action again.
The student union could never have attracted people like these; women; black students; overseas students: who are fighting for their education - not interested bureaucratic gains.
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