Student Union in Britain.

[Amusing Scrotum]

I just went back to College and I was given the form to sign for membership of the Student Union. I was already a member, but, you sign up again every time you start a new year.
From what I can tell, all it does is allow you to get discounts at various retail outlets.
So what I was wondering is anyone here a member? and also does it do anything useful, from a leftist perspective?
If all it does is allow you to get a dicount on goods, then I am going to write to them, telling them how they are doing a great disservice to the ideas and principles of an Union. I will also ask them to cancel my membership.

Little victories I know, but hey, I am a very petty person. :P

[The Feral Underclass]

As I understand, the Student Union only really becomes "politically" significant at university level. The Student Union use to be extremely radical back in the day. Jack straw, a stalinist, use to be the President of it.

It's just been co-opeted now, just like most unions and they dazzle you with their pretty things and special offers in an attempt to passify you. Having said that there are radical elements within the Student Union who, if more confrontational and a little bigger could do allot...I mean the anti-top up fees wasn't particularly a radical campagin was it?

Also, there are Student Socities of different political groups. I know that The Socialist Workers Party have quite a big society which I was a member off back in the day. They're called the Socialist Workers Student Society, surprisingly, and they are much better than the actual party...but not very much.

[Amusing Scrotum]

Jack straw, a stalinist, use to be the President of it.

At least he once believed in something, unlike the bumbling Jack we have now.

:lol:


The Socialist Workers Party have quite a big society

Is it still active? and if so, is it only available at University level?


They're called the Socialist Workers Student Society, surprisingly, and they are much better than the actual party...but not very much.

:P

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2005, 12:10 AM

The Socialist Workers Party have quite a big society

Is it still active? and if so, is it only available at University level?
Oh yeah they're still active. You won't be able to miss them at the open day fare universities have.

You can join at any age, providing you're a student. Their site is:http://www.swp.org.uk/swss/

I wouldn't join them though. They're trots!

[The Feral Underclass]

I got this from their website...


We work with other forces in campaigns and coalitions, but we believe that in order to put a final end to war, poverty, bigotry and the other problems in society we must overhaul the system that breeds them.

Highlight added.

Now do they mean "overthrow"...?

...I doubt it.

[Amusing Scrotum]

Thanks for the link.


Now do they mean "overthrow"...?

The Socialist workers I've met, doen't seem to mean anything. ;)


I wouldn't join them though. They're trots!

I'm sensing some sectarian tensions here. ;)

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2005, 12:58 AM
I'm sensing some sectarian tensions here. ;)
When it comes the SWP...Yes!

[Amusing Scrotum]

When it comes the SWP...Yes!

:D

Seriously though, were you an Anarchist when you joined the Socialist Workers or did you become one afterwards?

[Donnie]

The Student Union? What a con! The only thing the Student Union is good at is organizing general parties. Their a right wet blanket!

They do nothing for student struggle, when I get too university I'll have to live off £4000 and that money will have to provide me for food, accommodation and tuition fee's for the whole year! Oh, and I have to pay a TV license as well when I get there. But I'm not going to pay it so it means I won't be able to watch TV. If I want to watch T.V I'll have to go to Dixon’s (But you always get thrown out).

The SWP? I didn&#39;t really hate them at first but I can&#39;t stand the SWP now. One ex-member turned anarchist said he left the SWP because one of the members came to a meeting in a Porsche&#33; <_< Talk about class struggle ay?

Bloody trots&#33;

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by [email protected] 14 2005, 01:30 PM
Seriously though
No seriously, I&#39;m sectarian when it comes to the SWP.


were you an Anarchist when you joined the Socialist Workers or did you become one afterwards?

I wasn&#39;t no. I joined the SWP when I was 14 and left when I was 20. I wasa paid member for a short while and realised the absurdity of it. I also re-read &#39;State and Revolution&#39; and realised how absurd that was to.

Then I started moving further to the left, finally reaching anarchism.

[John_worldrevolution.info]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13 2005, 10:49 PM
I just went back to College and I was given the form to sign for membership of the Student Union. I was already a member, but, you sign up again every time you start a new year.
From what I can tell, all it does is allow you to get discounts at various retail outlets.
So what I was wondering is anyone here a member? and also does it do anything useful, from a leftist perspective?
If all it does is allow you to get a dicount on goods, then I am going to write to them, telling them how they are doing a great disservice to the ideas and principles of an Union. I will also ask them to cancel my membership.

Little victories I know, but hey, I am a very petty person. :P
To get back to the topic, the NUS and with it most university unions are really shit at standing up for student&#39;s rights such as free education and mostly focus on making money at the bars, clubs and shops.

However you should still join it because through the union meetings and activities which you can attend you can get to know all the radicals in your university very quickly. It is even possible that you will get to know some of the more decent sabbatical officers who can aid with funding transport to events such as the ESF and G8 which one of my union officers arranged.

I would advise that being active in your union is a very useful thing and from those people you will often get to know radicals in the city too.

Revolution Socialist Youth are a very active very left group in some universities and the Alliance for Workers Liberty and SWSS to the right-wing are also pretty active in university politics. Obviously Revo are the best though ;)

[Amusing Scrotum]

I would advise that being active in your union is a very useful thing and from those people you will often get to know radicals in the city too.

To be honest after checking today in College. I don&#39;t think there is a single active member within the College. Never mind any radical elements.

[John_worldrevolution.info]

ok is that NUS associates or NUS?

[YKTMX]

I&#39;m going to Glasgow Uni, and they&#39;re not affiliated with the NUS - which is shit.

[Hegemonicretribution]

Just left full time bar work and am back in education, I use the union for the cut price/free bus travel. I don&#39;t shop at any (actually there are a couple, where I don&#39;t use the card) of the stores that I get discount at.

The activity here has been dead, up until now. If you don&#39;t like things, fucking well change them. Even if you don&#39;t have mad success at least you tried. As of next week the campaign for better food on site starts.

Does anyone know if UCAS cards are used to gather information (I never used that either, I was a little paranoid) by companies?

[Amusing Scrotum]

ok is that NUS associates or NUS?

I don&#39;t know, I&#39;ll have to check.


The activity here has been dead, up until now. If you don&#39;t like things, fucking well change them. Even if you don&#39;t have mad success at least you tried. As of next week the campaign for better food on site starts.

From what I can gather there doesn&#39;t appear to be another radical in the college. The apathy of the youth where I am is incredible. No one gives a shit about anything and I&#39;m not going to start a one man protest against Capitalism, in between lectures and coursework.

[John_worldrevolution.info]

I don&#39;t know the size or anything about your college (pm me if you like and i can see if there&#39;s anyone i know there or around) but there&#39;s bound to be more going on than you think. I thought the same when I went to uni thinking the SWSS were the only group around but there was a whole world of stuff right under my nose&#33;

Keep a look out for flyposters of meetings you might be interested in and check the noticeboards regularly and make sure you go to union AGM meetings and other open ones. Also keep you eyes peeled around town for meetings you might be interested in - sometimes it can be a bit daunting going to an event by yourself but being proactive will pay off.