THE CALL for London-wide 24-occupations comes from January's National Student Activists' Conference, organised by NUS London. The success of last term's occupation movement, and other actions like the rent strikes at Lancaster University and Paisley College, Scotland, shows the mood to fight student poverty clearly exists in colleges right across Britain.
In calling for option on there of the NO national demonstration against student poverty, activists hope that successful action will inspire other students on the march to go back to their colleges and build for further, indefinite action.
The 'Don't rock the boat - but wait for a Labour government' policy pursued by the NOLS leadership of NUS, has manifestly failed to stop students plunging into the depths of poverty. It has failed miserably to stop college overcrowding underfunding and soaring college rents. From the very beginning of this Intervi Printed by Tricant Press, Edenbridge, Kent. Published by Idolare Ltd, 377 City Road, London EC IV cowardly policy, it was always doomed to fail.
Instead of organising an indefinite national occupation of all colleges - a sure way of stopping college managements and the Tories in their tracks - the NUS leadership is preoccupied with spending its scarce resources on birthday parties and a totally undemocratic emergency conference to push through still further undemocratic constitutional changes a month before the regular Easter conference! NUS is not even building for its own national demonstration.
Students should ensure that coaches are coming down to London for the February march. They should be building for future actions - including occupations - and they should do everything they can to build a fighting National Union of Students. Stand in your union elections to be a delegate to NUS conference.
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