Name the date and build for mass action The National Union of Students (NUS) has finally announced a series of actions to fight against the sweeping privatisation and cuts threatened to hit our universities if the government get their way. This comes after a week of twists and turns in which the government ‘dropped’ its [...]
Ian Pattison – a marcher on the Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow march – replies to Labour leader Ed Miliband’s recent comments which claim to offer a ‘radical rethink’ on benefits. Dear Ed Miliband I was disgusted to wake up to 2012 to hear that you’re going to “get tough on the workshy.” I’m a [...]
Wednesday, November 9th, saw around 10,000 students take to the streets to protest against the government’s plans to snatch away the future of young people. The march helped to send a clear message to the government: the message that the fightback on fees, EMA, privatisation funding cuts is not over. We’re continuing the fight for [...]
On Saturday 3,000 joined the Jarrow marchers in London to celebrate the end of the 330 mile march. There was overwhelming support from the crowd who had travelled from all over the country. Coaches of workers, students, pensioners and unemployed people arrived at Embankment. We were even joined by 106 year old Hetty Bower who [...]
Samantha Garratt
Leeds Trinity Union general secretary
At Leeds Trinity University College canteen services have been stopped on Saturdays and Sundays for the foreseeable future. Due to this closure staff have been made redundant and others have had their hours cut. This is a breach of student contracts of those who live in part-catered accommodation, which states that they will have access to catering services 7 days a week during term time. There have been vending machines installed in place of cooked food consisting of microwave meals – with only one vegetarian option (which in my experience is disgusting) – chocolate and soft drinks. Most of the products available are more expensive than in the canteen. » Read more..
This week there’s been another set of statistics showing working and middle class people are finding the prospect of £50,000 worth of debt enough to make them rethink plans to embark on a university education. Official UCAS statistics, have confirmed what Socialist Students has said all along. There’s been an 8.7% drop in applications for the first year of students facing the government’s enormously hiked in tuition fees.
Last week The Socialist reported that the National Union of Students (NUS) had called a ‘week of action’ and a walk-out of students against the government’s plans for cuts, privatisation and marketisation set to devastate our universities. Socialist Students welcomes the announcement, but says that the NUS leadership must ‘put their money where their mouth is’ and start build for mass action. » Read more..
Name the date and build for mass action
The National Union of Students (NUS) has finally announced a series of actions to fight against the sweeping privatisation and cuts threatened to hit our universities if the government get their way. This comes after a week of twists and turns in which the government ‘dropped’ its controversial Higher Education white paper.
Unfortunately, however, much of what was contained in the paper is being implemented on campuses without the need for government legislation. The dropping of the paper is yet another signal that the government intends to take forward its agenda by more underhand means – perhaps due to a fear of a repeat of 2010’s mass student protests.
NUS is organising a parliamentary lobby on 7 March and a ‘week of action’ from 12-16 of March. The centrepiece of the student action should be the national walk-out that has been announced. Liam Byrne, NUS president, has called for this to take place this term. This development should be welcomed by all students who want to campaign against the whole range of attacks currently underway on our campuses. » Read more..