Student unity! @ NUS conference 09
Tuesday 31st
Build a fighting, democratic union Communist Students convenor, Dan Cole, explains why communist students was created and what he perceives to be the future role of the campaigning group, He also highlights the potential communist students has for the student movement and the troubles the NUS has fallen into.
C
ommunist students was set up in 2005 as co-ordination between the Communist Party, the Young Communist League (its youth wing) and several overseas Communist Parties & Young Communist organisations, with members studying in this country. We aim to build a united Communist front within the student movement and to work with other sections of the left to fight for left policies within the NUS and on campus. Our NUS should be the union for students – a progressive, active, forwardthinking and militant expression of collective student power! Yet the union currently fails to fulfil anything even approximating
these criteria. Rather, it is remote, has little impact on the daily lives of students and little relevance to the issues which concern them. This will be made worse by the passing of the Governance Review, which is a direct attack on the fundamental nature of what the union stands for. The block of 12 has been replaced by the block of 15 with reduced campaigning
power, the Trustee board will no longer see the representation of a liberation campaigns officer, and Zone conferences will sever the democratic accountability of the NUS by reducing the ability for annual conference to set NUS policy. It does certainly “streamline” (as the right wing coin it) NUS structures – right past the democratically accountable part at the heart of our union
that makes the NUS student-run, and student-led. The main damage that will be done will be by giving the powers of the elected Executive to a board and steering committee with an expanded senate which can be expected to act as no more than a rubber stamp. This will be followed neatly by “zone conferences”, which most SU’s will not be able to afford to attend (a much bigger commitment than one conference a year - this will particularly affect and disenfranchise FE student unions). These will only be able to propose 'consensual' reports to the national conference, meaning that most initiatives will be ruled out before they even reach the conference floor. To make a truly democratic union the sovereign body of the union should be the conference and, between conferences, an elected executive. The separation of political from financial and managerial powers renders the proposed
Cont. on p3
Challenging Capitalism
Communist students NUS Conference 09 fringe meeting
Tuesday 31st March 11pm Spanish Hall, Winter Gardens Alvaro Sanchez Venezuelan embassy; Matt Brierley Cuba Solidarity Campaign; Joel Heyes No2EU - Yes to Democracy
Fringe / conference guide
The EU & privatisation One of the key goals of the European Union is the privatisation of services, with the aim of creating a “Single Market in goods and services”, and achieving “free movement of capital, goods, services and labour” throughout the EU. Until recently, this has been achieved through individual EU directives. For example, the privatisation of Britain’s rail network was carried out on the basis of EU directive 91/440 which aimed to “facilitate the adoption of the [European] Community railways to the needs of the Single Market” by “separating the management of railway operation and infrastructure from the provision of railway transport services”. However, two key pieces of legislation are likely to speed up considerably the rate of this privatisation. The first is the Services Directive, adopted by the EU on 12th December 2006 to be implemented by national governments by 28th December 2009. According to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, “The EU Services Directive aims to break down barriers to cross border trade in services between countries in the EU. It will make it easier for service providers… to offer their services to customers in other EU countries, whether establishing elsewhere in the EU or providing services remotely from the UK.” It is part of the process following on from the 1994 GATS agreement drawn up by World Trade Organisation,
which calls for a free market in private provision of services, including health and education. Even more worrying is the renamed European Constitution (the Lisbon Treaty). If adopted, this will establish a procedure by which the EU can force the liberalisation of specific services. Under article III-147 of the EU Constitution: “A European framework law shall establish measures to achieve the liberalisation of a specific service”. The political commitment of the constitution to the creation of a market economy in service provision across the EU is confirmed by Article III-148 which commits member states to: "declare their readiness to undertake the liberalisation of services beyond the extent required" by Article III-147. "To this end, the Commission shall make recommendations to the member states concerned". All these rules remain in the Lisbon Treaty. The argument has often been made that, as our current government seems even more determined than its European counterparts to push through privatisation, no matter what the cost, the EU may act as a break on British privatisation. However, this argument is undermined by some of the key architects of privatisation in this country. In 2005, whilst Prime Minister, Tony Blair told the Financial Times that one of the great merits of international institutions such as the EU was that they facilitated economic reforms
which it would be difficult for politicians to take through their own national parliaments. He is not alone. Reflecting on the Single European Act of 1986, one Tory MP said, “Margaret Thatcher was herself a driving force behind the Act and some of her ministers positively fizzed with enthusiasm about the Single Market which they believed achieved the Thatcherisation of Europe”. The SEA was one of the precursors to both the Services Directive and the Lisbon Treaty. The impact of this legislation cannot be underestimated. It would pave the way for the wholesale privatisation of health, education and other public services, following the model of the railways and the soon-to-be-privatised postal service (another requirement under EU law). Already, the European Central Bank has called on member states to reform their healthcare systems by “limiting the public sector’s exposure”, “enhancing private funding” and “leaving individuals to provide for non-essential expenditure”. We must not sit back and let our government force privatisation on us through the corrupt institutions of the European Union. We must oppose the Lisbon Treaty and all other forms of EU privatisation. For more information on opposing EU privatisation, visit:
www.no2eu.com.
Fight for campaigning, democratic union cont. from p1 senate meaningless. The now more 'innovative corporate structure’ as it’s been described by the right wing, is a fine example of how a union should not be run. The NUS, on its website, claims to be more “dynamic” and “effective” with the new constitution able to “modernise” the NUS, yet in the article its doesn’t mention a more “dynamic ” or “effective” democratic structure? This is because it has been turned into a bureaucratic stepping stone system for future New labour lackeys to slap on their CV! The powers given to the procedures committee means that they can appoint people onto that committee who don’t face democratic election and don’t even have to be members of the union! And yet they can influence what is decided by the committee. It’s like the bosses of the workers going to trade unions and help in making decisions of behave of the union. The idea will certainly “modernise” the NUS as a big business playground. The fact that this committee will be able to submit motions or amendments about the constitution or the
proceedings of annual conference is a joke while non-union members can sit on the committee. It’s like Peter Mandleson becoming a life peer and determined to privatise the royal mail, despite him not being democratically elected and despite New labour promising otherwise (nothing new there). This whole new constitution reeks of right Wing rhetoric, and with it in place it will achieve nothing for the development of the union as a democratic, student-led, progressive union which fights for the improvement of students lives. It is a sad reflection on the student movement that the left have to keep defending what little democracy is left in the NUS, but this is the first step to taking the offensive and fighting for progressive policies within a reinvigorated union. Communist students say: We must support the fight to rid the NUS of this undemocratic and unrepresentative constitution! Build a democratic, fighting union!
Got a question for us? Come and visit our stall in the exhibition centre. Come along and post your thoughts about NUS conference on our discussion forum.
www.student-unity.org.uk
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Viva Viva Cuba Cuba one of the principle beacons of hope for poor people throughout Latin America and the oppressed nations of the world. Overseeing free education, health care, participative democracy and revolutionary developments in sustainable agriculture at home, Cuba has also been lauded for its unselfish internationalism. This includes providing scholarships for international students from developing countries, sending thousands of doctors the world over to help poor communities and helping other Latin American countries such as Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela in eradicating illiteracy. All this has been set against an illegal trade blockade initiated by the US which has cost the Cuban economy billions in funds and restricted the development of health, transport and education. 2009 represents the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution. The freeing of the Cuban people from the yoke of US imperialism led to many important developments: Nationalisation of the means of production meant that for the first time, Cuba would determine how it would plan its economy. Big business capitalists would no longer be able
to exploit Cuban workers for their surplus value. Instead, the economy would be based around the needs of the many, as opposed to the wants of a few. The developing of a national health service, free for all people regardless of status or wealth. The eradication of illiteracy and the establishment of nationwide education, free to all Cubans. Cuba has also developed a system of truly participatory democracy, where every Cuban has a direct say in the way their country is run through a variety of representative bodies and organisations: In the 2008 elections, 96.89% of eligible voters voted. More than 28% of representatives in the National Assembly are farmers and workers in production, service, education and the health sector. Anyone can stand, regardless of their wealth, status or ideas. There are 8.5 million members of its Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDR). These organisations are local
bodies that have evolved since the revolution and are responsible for civil actions such as recycling, cultural events, vaccinations & blood donation campaigns. Trade Union membership is 9899% of the workforce. Unions have a key part in shaping policy. There also strong Women’s, Youth and Small Farmers’ movements in addition to the Communist Party which is separate from government. Perhaps the most telling aspect of the success of Cuban democracy came during Cuba’s Special Period, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cuba lost 85% of its export market, food rations were down to a minimum and the lack of fuel meant endless queues for transport. However, Cubans made use of whatever they could, such as the converted trucks that have been transformed into buses. The reason for this is that they had a real say in the way that they would overcome these problems. However, Cuba has had its share of difficulties. Since 1959, there have been over 3,000 deaths resulting from acts of terrorism carried out by
various US backed forces. The most infamous was the 1976 bombing of an airliner killing all 73 people on board. The mastermind of this callous act, Luis Posada Carriles, is now living in Miami, with the full knowledge of the US authorities. Other crimes committed include destroying crops with substances such as ‘Blue Mould’, introduction of viruses such as Dengue Fever, African Swine Fever, Bovine Skin Diseases, Haemorrhagic Conjunctivitis...the list goes on. The Cuban people have resisted these attacks and at the same time retained a level of freedom unheard of in many capitalist countries. The Cuban Revolution was one of the most important events in the 20th century, but it was not a static event, and continues to this day to develop and improve, albeit despite continued interference from the USA. Cuba is an example of how a developing country can use what little resources it has to benefit the whole population. It is an inspiration to people the world over for showing such resilience in the face of the world’s biggest superpower in order to maintain its sovereignty. ¡Viva La Revolucion! ¡Viva Cuba!
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