bury moved into occupation of the main teaching block on Tuesday, 30 May, after a motion calling for a sit-in had been overwhelmingly passed by an extraordinary general meeting of the students union.
The occupation marks the latest stage in a campaign which began six weeks ago when the University issued a report entailing a proposed 189 redundancies (partial and complete) and price increases of 10 per cent on residence and food charges. After the appearance of the report, which had been compiled by a working party consisting of the four College Masters and a number of bursars and administrators, little time was lost in organising a mass meeting of workers, academics and students at which an action committee to fight the report was established.
However, this action committee initially failed to give the required leadership to the struggle, mainly because of timid trade union leadership (the unions involved being NUPE and the GMWU) and the lack of an overall strategy. This changed as IMG militants and sympathisers fought inside the action committee for a clear strategy and a determined campaign based on the theme of a worker-student veto over the decisions of the university authorities and furthermore pointing out the nature and purpose of the State's attack (cutting down on unit costs in higher education etc.).
The sit-in is not seen as an end in itself but as against redundancies and to act as a focus for actions such as boycotts, walk-outs by staff, etc. It has won immediate support from the workers involved, as the following resolution passed by the NUPE and GWU branch meetings on 1 June shows. "The Kent University branches of the NUPE and GMWU express their appreciation of the action taken by the students against the catering report, support the occupation, and will provide food for students and staff while catering services are closed. The branches instruct their stewards in co-operation with the students to negotiate with the University authorities for the ré-opening of catering services, to be preceded by a Union meeting for all members of college staff at 10 a.m. on the day of re-opening. The branches re-affirm that proposals for cuts in working hours and redundancies are totally unacceptable". If the occupation is to be successful, however, it needs national support. There will be a national demonstration on the University campus on Monday, 12 June, at 4 p.m., and they are also appealing for messages of support and donations to finance and maintain the occupation. These should be sent to Dave Jones, c/o Students Union office, University of Kent, Canterbury.
NO REDUNDANCIES!
NO JOB LOSS!
NO PRICE INCREASES!
FOR A WORKER-STUDENT VETO!