Issue 142

Conference, I Believe...

08th May 2006

Picture the scene. Blackpool. Rain. 1200 students rocking up to NUS annual conference, all elected by cross-campus ballots in every higher education (HE) and further education (FE) union affiliated to NUS.

For first time delegates, conference is a scary place. Filled with factions, elections, campaigns and passionate speeches, the atmosphere at times is electric. And if a count of votes is called, the doors are locked - no one comes onto conference floor, no one leaves, and a deadly silence falls. It's all very serious, but within minutes, conference turns into an inferno of fiery, passionate and dedicated student representatives.

This was my sixth conference - as an undergraduate I attended ents and RAG conferences, and since my election to President, two Welsh conferences, and this is my second trip to national. And I have to say I actually enjoy it.

Welsh conference is somewhat more intimate. The majority of delegates know each other, and we try and stick together, as a strong and united Welsh Union. At Spring conference we had debates on AUT action, NUS Extra, and the introduction of an International Officer at NUS Wales level - we were successful.

But National Conference is somewhat different. So often we see people voting in their factions rather than for the students that voted for them to represent them. We see mass campaigns for those running in the elections - balloons, bribes and manifestos given out in their hundreds. We see campaigns like "ban Coca-Cola" and "education not war". You cannot escape the passion and paperwork that defines National Conference.

So how is National Conference going to affect you? The biggest thing that will effect you directly is NUS Extra - you will now have to pay £10 for your discount card. The Welsh delegation have argued against this card for a long time - mainly because the introduction of many of the new shops added to the card cannot be found in Wales. Our belief was that the trial was unfair, there was little written evidence to suggest it was a good idea, and a complete lack of information has left the majority of Welsh Unions in confusion and anger at NUS UK. The Unions of Wales are looking at the possibility of boycott on the Extra card - at least until NUS gives us some proper answers and makes the card accessible to our students, you.

Campaigning for a fair and free education is always high on the agenda. With the introduction of top-up fees in England and the coming of fees to Wales in 2007, the future is bleak. Now more than ever we have to be a strong and active Union. Vice-chancellors nationwide are lobbying already to take the £3,000 cap off fees. It is important for us to act now and sign up to the 2010 coalition when the cap will be discussed.

Two highly controversial motions were also bought to conference: Coca-Cola and Colombia, and Hizb-ut-tahrir.

Coca-Cola and Columbia is something we are already seeing being discussed here at Swansea. The main motion resolves to pursue a policy of constructive engagement, both with social movements in Colombia and India, but between NUSSL and Coca-Cola itself. Along side this were amendments, including a boycott on Coca-Cola. The motion and its amendments fell, mainly because I don't think that the majority of Unions had policy on it, and many people felt it was more important to educate and inform rather than dictate via a boycott.

The Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT) amendment was put forward as part of a main motion on Anti-racism. HT was put on the no platform policy alongside groups like the BNP some time ago, and the amendment suggested that they be taken off. HT are supposedly an extreme Islamic group with policies that are homophobic, sexist and anti-Jewish. However I will leave you to make your own mind up about that. Conference floor got extremely heated - with calls for secret ballots due to intimidation, security being called, and the doors being sealed to make sure people couldn't come onto conference floor. The amendment fell.

So Conference was an eventful, but tiresome few days. For the full report, check out www.swansea-union.co.uk National policy was made, mainly for the better, to make your Union strong and active, and fighting for the rights of you, the students.

Becki McKinlay