Fremantle workers, FE training and a full AGM

As a socialist on the NEC, I’m often accused of banging on about workers and ignoring students. Aside from the fact that students ARE increasing workers too, I got to do something on Saturday 10 November that aptly demonstrated the link between the two – I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at a rally for the striking Fremantle workers.
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Class(room) struggles: education workers within, against beyond capital.

ENS meeting at Sussex University. For more info, email.

Class(room) struggles: meeting at Sussex Uni

ENS supporters at the University of Sussex have organised a meeting on “class(room) struggles: education workers within, against and beyond capital”. Read on for more info.
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NUS Honorary Vice-President blinded and jailed for five years

At last year’s NUS conference in April, Mansour Ossanlou, the president of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company, was elected by an overwhelming majority as NUS Honorary Vice-President. Now he has been partially blinded and jailed for five years by the Iranian government. The charge? “Propaganda against the system and acting against national security.
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Campaign for NUS Democracy steering committee

Meetings will be open to all to attend, speak and make proposals, but only committee members will vote. Get in touch for more information: volsunga@gmail.com

Sofie Buckland, part-time NUS National Executive (Education Not for Sale, Workers’ Liberty)
Rob Owen, part-time NUS NEC (Socialist Workers Party/Respect)
Mina Sourmaidou, Cranfield University Students’ Association president (independent)
Aled Dilwyn Fisher, LSESU Environmental and Ethical Officer (Young Greens)
Koos Couvee, Sussex SU Secretary (independent, Radical Students Network)
Ruqayyah Collector, NUS Black Students’ Officer (Student Broad Left)
George Woods, NUS NEC (Student Broad Left)
Daniel Randall, Sheffield University, NUS NEC 2005-6 (ENS, Workers’ Liberty)
Rory Lawless, Southwark College (SWP/Respect)
Dominic Kavakeb, Essex SU Campaigns Officer (SWP/Respect)
Caston Matewu, UELSU President and NUS International Students Committee (independent)
Alison Smith, Plymouth SU VP Education and Welfare (SWP/Respect)
Rayan Aldouri, NUS Steering Committee (Federation of Students Islamic Societies)
Tom Skinner, Manchester SU General Secretary (independent)

A note of caution: no to control-freakery

Although ENS welcomes the launch of a united campaign against the Governance Review, we have some concerns about the behaviour of the SWP and their small number of allies at the launch meeting. Despite spending much of the day talking about the need for a broad campaign (as a defence of their position that the campaign should have no positive proposals for NUS democracy), the SWP-led majority voted down the nominations of Communist Students and Socialist Students comrades to the steering committee in a shockingly sectarian manoeuvre. (Their leadership also opposed the election of ENS supporter Daniel Randall, but many SWP members broke ranks and voted for him anyway.)
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Campaign for NUS Democracy launched - get involved!

On Sunday 4 November, a meeting was held at Birkbeck College in London to launch a united campaign against the attacks on democracy that are part of NUS’s “Governance Review”.
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From an ENS supporter in Paris: French students occupy as workers clash with Sarkozy government

By Ed Maltby

**Stop press! See below for how occupations and other student actions are spreading in Paris**

French students are uniting with workers to organise a mass opposition to President Sarkozy's offensive on health, pensions, asylum seekers, the right to strike and education.
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On what “right-wing ” means

While I couldn't be less interested in getting in to long blog wars with the NUS leadership over my personal record (I think I've pretty conclusively demonstrated my record), the issue of left and right in NUS could stand to be clarified.
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Feminist men’s group launched in London

A meeting was held on Saturday 3 November to found a feminist men’s group in London. The organiser Jon Waters writes:
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An open Letter to the Abortion Rights campaign

1000 ‘pro-life’, 2 pro-choice…

Dear Abortion Rights,

Last Saturday two of us went to Parliament Square to support the pro-choice movement. We expected to be part of a counter-demonstration to the anti-abortion, anti-women rally that was taking place; instead we were the demonstration. Where were you? Abortion Rights is the biggest, best supported, “official ” pro-choice campaign: it's time for you to stand up and fight.
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Independent investigation demanded by women in Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre

Women in Yarl's Wood Removal Centre, whom we are working with on a daily basis, have asked us to circulate their letter (attached) highlighting the appalling conditions and grave injustice they face in detention. Their demand for an independent investigation to “listen to our grievances and give us justice ”, is being raised at the same time as front page newspaper articles expose the widespread destitution of asylum seekers, racist attacks and violence from immigration guards against people during removal and attempts to deport Zimbabwean women weakened by over 40 days of hunger strikes.
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ECP responds to Harriet Harman

The English Collective of Prostitutes responds to Harriet Harman’s proposal to ban adverts for escorts in newspapers.

What is so shocking about adverts for escorts in local papers? Why does Harriet Harman want to clamp down on the safer ways women have found to work? Following the tragic Ipswich murders, we called together a Safety First Coalition of nurses, doctors, church people, probation officers, anti-poverty campaigners, sex workers and others, to ensure that women are not repeatedly placed in danger. We believe that there can be no protection while sex workers are being hounded, and campaign for prostitution to be decriminalised and for proper economic alternatives for women who want to get out of prostitution. Whatever people may think about sex work, women’s safety must be the priority.
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A reply to Stephen Brown

NUS National Secretary Stephen Brown shows the right wing leadership of NUS are running scared by resorting to personal attacks on his blog

Yes, I have read the governance review, and no, acting as a revolutionary socialist on the NEC doesn't mean I'm lazy - it just means I don't spend my time doing the kind of “work ” the leadership do.
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