Yes to NUS
Now more than ever there is a need to be part of the National Union of Students. With top-up fees coming in and the increasing marketisation of our education system, we need the loudest possible voice to speak up for us.
The NUS Free Education demonstration, in London, last Sunday was a clear example of how their network can be mobilised for our interests.
A National Union of Students is the only way our voices can be heard properly. Think about it: who will be listened to more by the government? The Glasgow University Students’ Rrepresentative Council who represent no more than 20,000 or NUS who represent 5,000,000?
Already, our students have benefited from campaigning by NUS at the national level, through successful campaigns to fight the cuts on block funding to student bodies; to keep students exempt from paying council tax; to claim back a third of your T.V. license (if you pay it); and has won the guarantee for course reps at all universities.
If we affiliated to NUS we could argue for the direction that national policy takes – the SRC can’t do this effectively!
One of the main problems the No Camp has with affiliation is the cost. Whilst we will have to pay £50,000, that’s not even 5% of total student body funding. This can be recouped through us being part of the NUS bulk buying service for Sstudent Unions’ food and, some may say most importantly, drink. The peculiarities of the Glasgow system mean the SRC would be paying the affiliation fee but only the Unions would benefit from the discounts. This isn’t fair and shouldn’t be the case – if the students vote yes to NUS then this cost surely must come out of the total block funding to all student bodies, or better still we force the Principal to cough up more cash.
The NUS has also been more inclined to stick its neck out on some of the more important issues of the day. As well as its stance against student fees, they were against the occupation of Iraq, against the replacement of Trident nuclear weapons and, more recently, against attacks on our civil liberties on campus with lecturers asked to spy on students (especially the “Aasian-looking” ones), and report any they deem to be ‘extremists’ to the authorities.
Students have always played a vital part of any battle for a better way of life. Last year Iitalian, Greek and French students were able to organise and win against governments that were trying to bring in devastating economic policies. They have only been successful where they can organise on a national basis.
Glasgow must join the NUS because unity is strength and our strength is numbers!