NUS NEC VOTE UNANIMOUSLY FOR 'GRANTS NOT
FEES'
The NEC voted unanimously for a Priority Campaign strategy paper- a composite of Broad Left/CFE
paper and a paper supported by Fabby, Duke, McGowan, Farleigh and Eaton- which acknowledges the
failings of the NUS leadership in supprting the aboltion of grants, calls for a national
demonstration under the slogan 'Grants not Fees', and a series of mass and local actions throughout
the year. NUS will campaign for a reprioritisation of Government spending, a manifesto commitment
to increase state funding for education, the restoration of grants, the abolition of fees, and
the ruling out of top-up fees. NUS will also be launching a national campaign against all forms of
cost transference to students, including rent increases above inflation, Private Finance Initiatives
and carrying out research into economic alternative for funding education which do not place the
finincial burden on students or employees.
DEMOCRACY UNDER ATTACK AGAIN
A vote was taken as to whether there should be two or three priority campaigns. 'Two' was
carried (same vote as below). As a result the second priority campaign was a run-off between
'Modernising the Movement' proposed by Labour Students and 'Students at Work' proposed by CFE.
Counched in terms of 'inclusion', yet as argued by Denis Fernando, Beth Aze, Vicki Austin and Lina
Jamoul, without consultation of the liberation campaigns. The 'Modernisation' paper reads 'NUS
should establish a commission to review the democratic structures of the NUS constitution',
including a 'detailed' review of national conference.
The 'Students at work' paper campaigned for a minimum wage linked to earnings, highlighted the
inequalities of women, black students and lesbian, gay and bisexual students and disabled students
face in the workplace and called for support for the "Casualisation Kills" campaign. It highlighted
the detrimental effects of the New Deal and called for a lobby of the DfEE against the New Deal.
Modernisation was Carried
Modernisation: Ben Monks, Rachel Cashman, Mark Atkinson, Chris Fabby, Brookes Duke,
Barry Farleigh, Linda McGowan, Alex Bols, Claire Kober, Nicolle Lennon, Vicky Foxcroft,
Mandy Telford, Craig Owen, Simon Petar
Students at Work: Helen Aspell, Vicki Austin, Beth Aze, Sophie Bolt, Denis Fernando, Lina
Jamoul, Helen Russell, Lee Sergent
ALLOCATION OF NEC RESPONSIBILITIES
The proposed allocations (drawn up by the President and Secretary) were not given out of the
beginning of the meeting with the rest of the papers, but as the item was about to be discussed.
Lina Jamoul asked 'Why as the only black woman on the NEC, have I not been given anti-racism and
why as one of the few international students on the NEC have I not be allocated internationalism?'
Owain James replied that she had not given her form in on time. However, the meeting adjourned and
reconvened to overturn these decisions. Sophie Bolt, co-chair the Broad Left was allocated
Northern Ireland and Higher Education. Denis Fernando, Black Students' Officer and member of
the Broad Left, was allocated anti-racism, anti-fascism, Internationalism and Student Union
Development.
PRESIDENT OPPOSES MOVES TOWARDS BOYCOTT OF NESTLE
Next on the agenda were ordinary motions, of contention were two propsed by Owain James.
One on an Oxfam campaign, which when questions were raised by Jamoul and Fernando over IMF reforms,
James withdrew. The other, propposed a 'campaign against Nestle.' Fernando proposed an add
amendment that in the light of the findings of teh Environmental and Ethical Committee of NUSSL,
NUS should move towards a boycott of Nestle. James refused firstly for this amendment to be read
out to the NEC and then refused to accept the amendment. When asked why, he replied that it had
not been written down.
Broad Left's Aims and objectives
Education Funding
Fighting Racism
Students and the Peace Movement
Students and the Peace Process in Ireland
Environment and Ethics
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