SUPPORT THE STEEL STRIKE EIGHT years ago, NUM general secretary Laurence Daly wrote to the National Union of Students after the miners' victory 'next to the movement, the support that received from student unions, the NUS, and students generally was the most important during recent strike'.
At that time the Tories were proposing to tighten control over student union expenditure. The mass campaign launched then to defend autonomy showed that the vast majority of students saw the need to take on the Tory government. Support for the miners was part of that stand. Today Today benefits and collections яге again being organised colleges steel strikers. Flying pickets have accommodated and helped out by students Manchester Birmingham. And once again the Tortes are proposing changes in the procedure student unions.
Tory education minister Mark Carlisle tias insisted that the main aim is simply to establish greater accountability. But at the same time he has referred to abuses in expenditure such as the sending of student union coaches Grunwick mass pickets in 1977.
At the moment the yeurly payment to student unions comes the local authority pays the student's grant, In future the fee Wil be paid authority responsible for college. This will have effects.
Compete *Student unions will have to compete WILH other education facilities for their share of a diminishing cake public expenditure cuts go ahead.
*With the real income student unions falling under the impact of inflation, there will be increasing pressure from the right. wing SAve disaffiliating from NUS.
*Local authorities will try 10 determine how the fee is spent.
Oxfordshire has already written to Oxford Polytechnic student union asking them to about their affiliation fee to NUS.
Tory attacks on higher and further education can only resisted by student unions that are powerful and independent. Given the chance, the government will deal with students as ruthlessly it is trying to deal Choice The choice for students today, as in 1972, is to line up with the Tory union-bashers or to alongside the organised movement. Socialist Challenge supporters in the colleges will be waging & determined campaign for the latter.
Cialist Challenge
ROGER TOVEY