Students' Organisation Closure
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----------------===========================~-------~-- - = '' 'Butcher of •• , the Somme?' What the Haig diaries I really tell us Eve ry Thursday Price 15p -p.12 GM-OCCUPATION MDVI AT TONl5HT'S General Meeting, members of compulsory redundancies and the Day Nursery the Socialist Workers' Students' Organisation closure. This undoubtedly controversial motion, will propose a motion that students should together with other GM business, is discussed occupy Old College in order to protest against on page 2. There'll be blood on the streets tonight. Fight your GM John Peel speaks truth about rumours that his programme is to be axed apathy with ~n an . exclusive Student Jp RIMOVAl MDVI intervrew p. 14. 2 THE STUDENT 27th JANUARY 1983 l s6Re L~? J As Student went to press It seems unlikely that Finance campaign to defeat it when the on Tuesday, the Finance Committee will reject the proposal execuHve seek the support of a out of hand, although they have General Meeting, as they must. Committee of the SRC the power to do so. T he scheme Senior Presiden t Imagen Foulkes were in the throes of has unanimous support amongst has refuted these charges, saying debating a radical new .the fou r sabbaticals, and it seems " it's not privatisation. Students will approach to Students' likely that if it does gain sufficient support it once they understand support tonight, then a decision the plan and see its benefits." Association financing will simply be deferre d . The move is a response to that, if successful, could The benefits of such a scheme several factors, not least the become a model for other l ie in t he fr ee d o m fr o m possi bl e r et urn o f a T o ry government restriction on the use government at the next election. If, associations to follow. of Association fu nds that it would as is fea red, a fut ure government T he plan is to form a limited give. At present, as since 1980, the were to move to rad ically alter company, trading outside the Association receives a portion o f students' associations' demo University and in services not the funds granted to th e University cratic insti tutions by, for example. necessarily related to students, in as a whole by the UGC, subject to seeking to abolish sabbatical whatever ventures it sees as restrictions on their use. One of posts, financial independence suitably profitable. These would t h ese is illustrated by the would negate any budgetary seem to like in such items as continuing court action of leverage that the government groceries, food and stationery, 'Sherbrooke v. EU SA' where the soug ht to bring to bear. through which it would be able to use of funds to send a mi ni-bus to T he costs of such a scheme are increase its profits by purchasing a London demonstration is alleged hard to predict, although they stock at bulk discoun t prices to be 'ultra vires·, i.e. o utside the would be unlikely to be less than through the joint purchasing reasons fo r which they wer~ iven, £50,000. Similarly hard to pred ict agreement that the Association and therefore illegal. Such a is ·exactly when th e scheme would prese ntly has with other unions in scheme as a b ove w i th a n become o perative, although fro m Northern Ire land and the North of independent source of income an accounting point of view, April Englan d. The legal status of this through its profits would clearly 1st, beginning of the fi nancial company would be as any other, avoid such com plications. year, must b e the easiest . with the executive office-bearers The controversial implications Whatever the scheme's merits and as the effective board of directors, of this plan are clear, and the flaws, given its political implica and the student body controlling political left have already begun to tions, a stormy debate seem it s activities through the General level accusations of 'sell out' and inevitable. Meeting's ability to control the of 'joining the system' and wi ll Graeme WIison activities of these individuals. doubtless mount a strong Glasgow Students in Rent Camp Strike Proliferation was one of the largest imposed. Last week Student re SAC President Robert Steven Stamped on ported that Heriot-Watt son believes that the freezing of students would be taking rent payments will force the Three Greenham Com pa rt in a re nt strike, and University Court to review the present situation. and that some mon women peace more students at Glas form of response will be campaigners were in A General Meeting is being held tonight at 7 pm gow University have forthcoming. "We realise that the court on Monday after in the McEwan Hall and promises to be a stormy informed us of their own University is suffering from cuts in attempting to set up a funding by the UGC. but it's either one. strike .. .. higher grants or lower rents." second peace camp The Socialist Workers are Service (SAGS) which gives The threatened rent strike by Under the current system, any outside an American calling for a sit-in if any advice to students in difficulties. students in the University Halls of increase m fees is proposed by the cruise missile base in compulsory redundancies of The proposers argue that the Residence began at the beginning Finance Office. With accommoda academic staff are announced or if SAGS is of real benefit to staff and of this year's term, following a tion of academic conferences Berkshire. the Day Nursery is closed. Such an students alike and oppose any referendum held in the halls the during the summer vacation, the The women were arrested on occupation would revive cuts that might be made in its previous term. The results of this Finance Offlce achieved over Saturday afternoon when local memories of student unrest in the facilities. The EUSA is called upon referendum show that the majority £28,000 in surplus from this, most residents called police to Pyle Hill, '60s and would almost certainly to act if the SAGS is threatened. of students are unhappy with the of which was spent on wages. which is about a mile from the receive television and newspaper Three other motions talk about present hall fees and that over 65% maintenance and other necessary original peace-camp. coverage. SWSO has been talking matters outside the University. support the demands outlined by prov1s1ons. Under the laws At Monday's special sitting of about a sit-in for some time, Amnesty International are calling Glasgow's SAC in a leaflet issued imposed by the UGC, the office Newbury magistrates Ceri feeling that the SRC's present for support for a black South by them. must adhere to a self-balancing Drysdale. 18. Susan Popper, 19, policy is ineffective. One member African journalist, Marimuthu The terms of the residents' budget. However, the University and Geraldine Ellis, 27 waved and raised the issue at the last General Subramoney, or Subry for short, campaign call for a phased Court has offered subsidies in the blew kisses to other women Meeting in December and who has been placed under a reduction in hall fees until they are past, and Mr Stevenson believes supporters in the court area. received quite a lot of applause. banning order by the government at least equal lo the board and that if a substantial subsidy were However, the magistrates were not Whether the motion is actually for his anti-apartheid writings. lodgings element in the student to be offered, financial pressures impressed by this ostentatious passed is another question Subry is under virtual house arrest maintenance grant, and a possible on students could be lessened. display of peace and goodwill, and though: lmogen Foulkes, Senior and Amnesty want the Senior rebate for students on this year's The cost of Student Halls is not asked 1f they were liable to cause a President, was hostile to the President to write to various fees. decided unfil a meeting in May of breach of the peace when they suggestion at the last General bodies, the NUS for instance, In the past four years the fees the Finance Committee. and the erected a tent to the annoyance of Meeting , saying that an asking them to take up Subry's have escalated by almost 65% SAC feel that if any decision on the the local population. occupation would achieve nothing case. The South African Prime compared with a 45% increase in matter were to be brought forward The council for the defence said and worsen relations between Minister is also asked to lift the the student grant. G lasgow by a couple of months, more time that the three were pleading not students and the Un iversity banning order. Another motion University's hall fees are the could be given for joint d rs guilty, and the case has been authorities. The majority of concerns the deprived area of highest of any university in c u ss ion between the two adjourned until the 21st of students would also be probably West Pilton, Edinburgh, an area of Scotland, and last year's increase financially distraught parties. ~brua~. • opposed to such an extreme very poor housing. Edinburgh motion. The fact that SWSO is District Council is criticised for its proposing it might also lose the failure to improve the area and motion votes: the "loony lefties" disquiet is expressed about a plan are not very popular; indeed most to demolish several hundred people regard them as cranks.