Manchester Area NUS Student Council (personal capacity) THIS WEEK the National Union of Students conference will discuss plans from the National Organisation of Labour Students (NOLS) to dissolve NUS as it currently exists.
It is essential conference delegates stop this attempt to collaborate with the Tories in blocking potential student protest.
To cut unemployment the Tories plan to have one young person in three going on to turther education by the end of the decade. At the same time they are cost of education.
Mass teaching universities on the cheap have been created out of the old polytechnics, while a handful of the old universities get the bulk of research funds.
Worried that the potential is there for student unions to become centres to organise resistance, the government has threatened to end automatic membership of student unions, limit campaigning and set the scene for student facilities, shops and bars to revert to college administration.
The NOLS NUS leadership, with their tiny material privileges and supplication-form swelling experience of financial and personnel management under threat, have rushed to surrender. Printed by Tridant Press, Edenbridge, Kent. Published by Idolrare Ltd, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU membership and placing campaigns under Charity Commission control - similar to Margaret Thatcher's proposals for VUS reform!
Weak response
Faced with this attack, the left response is weak. The Socialist Worker Student Society (SWSS) has responded to downsizing campaign work and stepping up propaganda. It abstained on attempts to set up a network of college-based miners' support groups, and has failed to advance a programme linking college struggles with those in the community.
Left Unity, the grouping re flecting the positions of Socialist gressivepropaganda and unprincipled interventions in NUS conference; but it is now in decline, demonstrated by the surprise failures of their candidates to be re-elected as NUS women's officer and NOLS Executive member.
Iwo new coalitions appear al this NUS conference -sponsored by Labour Briefing, and Campaign for a Broad Left sponsored by Militant. Socialist Outlook supporters will argue for these forces to build real unity, on a common programme for students struggle. A Socialist Outlook slate of four is also standing to propose a strategy of an independent fightback and linking up with community struggles.