1st July 2001

NUS were caught with their pants down and given a lesson in how to organise a protest last week when students from around the country occupied the unions headquarters, at 461 Holloway Road, London N7. Occupiers had hoped to draw attention to the fact that the NUS NEC (National Exceutive Committee) had policy 'on the hoof' which is in direct contravention with policy passed at the unions' national conference, the sovereign body of the union, in March.

Protesters were angry that a 'shotgun' emergency NEC meeting was held on 11th June to discuss £300,000 worth of budget cuts, despite the NEC telling national conference only two months before the proposals that the shortfall would be only £29,000. Despite a thirty-page document being circulated on 11th June which detailed £300,000 of cuts, Owain James told the Times Higher Education Supplement on JUne 29th that there were only £140,000 of cuts. The protesters demands were;
· To open the books of NUS to make the financial picture totally transparent.
· To reinstate the women's unit.
· To reinstate the LGB staff member.
· To attempt to build 'non-active unions' opposed to giving up on them
· Not to victimise occupiers who are only highlighting the undemocratic way in which NUS is operating.

On Thursday, protesters received a hand written note of just six words; "The National Executive Committee say no!" Non-Labour NUS NEC member Lee Sergeant, who joined students at the occupation (Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th June) said on the morning of the second day;
"We now have complete copntrol of the building. Two Blairite NEC members have stayed behind to keep an eye on us, but they're getting more and more pissed off by the minute. We have all the doors covered- there's no way NUS can operate while we are here."

On Thursday NUS insisted to police that occupiers were 'falsely imprisoning' Kober & Monks, despite protesters insistence that the pair were free to leave at any time, which eventually they did. Despite this, NUS circulated a fax to student unions suggesting that occupying students were revolutionaries who had taken hostages! In an cynical fax, NUS also said occupiers were simply trying to position themselves for next years elections at NUS conference. Odd that seeming as the faxes sent out by occupiers had no names on, yet the ones sent by NUS were plastered with names. Most noteworthy is that Geraint Hopkins is taking second billing after OJ. I became far more suspicious about him being 'profile for next years executive elections' when instead of replying to my executive question, he offered to buy me a drink at NUS brainwashing, sorry convention. The other thing to notice was that although NUS said the liberation campaigns wer not being cut, none of the current liberation officers had signed the document.

NUS claimed that;
"There are democratic structures to voice their feelings. There is a meeting on Monday which the national executive people involved in this protest can attend, and regional meetings for other students."
A great sound-bite, unfortunately half of the reason for the protest is the way in which the NUS NEC have by-passed the democratic structures of the union, lying to NUS Conference about the unions financial situation and acting in direct contravention to policy set there.

Around 6pm on Thursday students wishing to join the occupation were prevented from doing so by a cohort of private security drafted in by NUS. They have since found an abandoned sofa and some cardboard, and are camped outside the building. NUS hoped to use their security officers on Friday to serve an eviction order on protesters, but they stole a march on NUS, coming out early, so as to make it easier to rebuild the protest for Monday.

Kate Buckell who has helped organise the protest said;
"NUS have completely refused to talk to us, whilst wasting police time and sending out libellous allegations to student unions of hostage taking! They have ignored all our demands, but all we want is for them to stop the cuts while they open the books and allow independent students to have an input into whatever financial measures are taken. It’s not the slightest bit unreasonable as their cuts will mean they charge some student unions £40k for little more than the right to use the NUS logo."

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Guardian (2nd Artcile)
Original Story
NUS blast 'lie ridden' educationet
Occupation report
Current state of affairs
Student 123
Guardian (1st Article)
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