The Students Linion at Birmingham Coversity las an almost unique system of financing by which it gets a grant sach year of around E180.000 from the Gorernment to cover costs for calering and sports facilities, etc.
Lat year the Students Union made a E35,000 loss on catering due 10 rising post and low student grants The Lnion officials, who dominate the Students Unian Guild Council and are led by Andtew Vallance-Owen, a leading right winger in the National Union af Students, ocu ta sack -l catenng wotkons out of a stuff of 80 to cut theie losss This was only tuvealod last week, as the Union oficials attempled to carry out lsoso moves behind the backs of the students nd workers oo the campus.
soroct man wunch a tipat against the ute in céucation and for adequnte State Chancing, the Union right wirpers prefer BO COP WOEkCS JO0s wu gut 320s ce Wel own student members- tis in stuation whiere the womon wha work in the refectary ano already badly understafted, with lang queues developing at inch-times. However, this stab in the hack har not gone unopposed.
Two weeks apo the join uplos comm intee, which covers all the trado unions ar Birmingham University, held a confercace of trade unionists and students on the mpus whach passed a rosolution nejoct The 80 catering workers have rejected the cuts out of land, and are threatering strike action -althouch they lave so far had little support from the local T&G WU officals Also the Cuts Action Cotr mittee, which was initiated by the interthe NUS runts strike, has started to campalpn amenest students to fone the Union officials to reverse their propesils The long berm aim of che campain B lo force the Goverament to take nosporsibility for the present erisis in ud-won ano couen up l noccsaty tanancos Ine emopus workees ano taun militant over this issuc, and last your joined the stadents in a demonstration agunst the education cur-backs As for students, 1,000 tumed our three weeks apo to demonstrate acanst a visit by aff stals crom the Uiniversity Girants Comittoo, despile mis direction of tho rents strike by the right wing Thene is cleary a basis foc a classse fight-back against theap lacest atlepted culs, ospecially as the wencaen work ons Bave made il clear that ticy are prepuned to lighL. Already some of chem have spoken at Studente Union meednes ta min support Hopefilly by noxt woek the shadents will have deon swung bellind trem and te basis laid for a tass campaian against the cuts in dacation. ucance schemes will wot sufter.
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national Marxist Group al a Students Union General Meeting last term around