5.1) Give Permenent Space to Food Co-op in JCR Refurb – Passed
Proposed By: Rebecca Temple
Seconded By: Adam Payne
This Union Notes:
1. There is a weekly project that sells wholesale priced Organic Food in the JCR once a week.
2. The project is seeks no financial profit outside of donations.
3. At the moment there is a small amount of storage that has been in the same place for almost a year.
4. Currently there is no guarantee that this project will continue after the founding members have left SOAS.
5. There will be a refurbishment that will change the permanent structure of the Junior Common Room (JCR) beginning this Academic year.
This Union Believes:
6. Making the Food Co-Op part of the permanent structure will contribute to the project’s longevity.
7. Making this part of the Refurbishment will allow for a storage space that can also be used as a selling space thus increasing the efficiency of project.
8. With this input the Food Co-Op may be available for more days of the week.
This Union Resolves:
9. To allocate a space in the JCR for exclusive use by the Food Co-Op
10. Ensure that the space is verified by members of the Food Co-Op
1. That there is Wide acceptance of anthropogenic climate change by scientists
2. Since the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, greenhouse gas levels have risen not fallen and further talks have not progressed in 15 years.
3. That the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP15), is being held in December of 2009 in Copenhagen has been hailed as our ‘last, best hope’ in the struggle against climate change.
SOAS Union believes:
4. That climate change is directly linked to the scramble for resources that is intrinsic to capitalism. A system based on competition that foregoes ethical standards in favour of profit.
5. That we need to radically change the way the entire system is run and that this will not be done by benevolent leaders but by resistance from below.That climate change is directly linked to the scramble for resources that is intrinsic to capitalism. A system based on competition that foregoes ethical standards in favour of profit.
6. We need to make clear the links between oppression, racism, imperialism, war and capitalism. We need to fight for better ways to produce that which is necessary to live. That we already have both the technology and the plans to radically change the way we do this but they are not considered profitable.
7. That creative protest and direct action are important tools in this fight for justice.
8. Showing a united student presence in Copenhagen and having our voices heard is paramount to our interests at SOAS and also as humanity.
9. Showing a united student presence in Copenhagen and having our voices heard is paramount to our interests at SOAS and also as humanity.
SOAS Union resolves:
10. To pay to send ten students to Copenhagen, to attend the Klima Forum and to raise their *very important* voices in the struggle for
social and environmental justice.
11. To support movements, campaigns and protests that are fighting against climate change and further environmental damage.
5.3) Democratize Surplus Generating Projects of the Union – Failed
Proposed by: Sebilio Uribe
Seconded by: Ian Drummond
SOAS Union notes:
1. Labour systems have changed throughout history; from slavery to indentured labour to today’s wide-spread use of the hourly wage-labour system
2. Profit that is made within this system is controlled by those that oversee the finances of the project
3. Without the workers the firm cannot exist and the without the firm the workers are deprived of their livelihood
4. Throughout the working term (day/week/month) the worker pays off their wages in a fraction of their total working term
5. Within another fraction of the working term the worker pays off their share of the fixed costs to maintain the firm
6. The remainder is pure profit made by the workers labour
7. Workers are not given a vote on what is done with this amount
8. There are two income generating projects operated by the Union
SOAS Union believes:
9. An attempt could be made within our Union to promote democracy by giving workers and dedicated consumers a say in how this profit is used
10. This will discourage Banks from using our money to make more money by lending out to firms or individuals we have little control of what is done with our money
11. We need more awareness of where our waste as well as where our finance comes from and goes
SOAS Union resolves:
12. To create a working group to review the logistics / specific calculations that will help make this attempt a success
13. To invite the following members to make up this group
- Shop & Bar Manager
- General Manager
- One Sabbatical Officer of the Union
- 1 member of the Student Body
- 1 worker form the bar & 1 from the shop
- 1 Lecturer or Teaching Assistant from the Economics Department
14. To have a working model ready for testing inthe 2nd term
15. To all transparent, online dissemation of the group’s and projects findings
16. To review this initiative in the academic year’s final UGM
5.4) Campaign Against Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill – Passed
Proposed by: Belle McKenzie
Seconded by: Cecilia Menelli
This Union Notes:
1. On October 14th 2009 an ‘Anti-Homosexuality’ bill was introduced by Ugandan MP David Bahati into the Ugandan parliament for discussion.
2.The bill states that homosexuality is a treatable mental disorder. This is not scientific fact and puts vulnerable people at risk.
3. The bill’s goal is to reinforce and introduce harsher penalties in the existing law, which punishes homosexuals with up to 14 years of imprisonment for what it considers ‘unnatural sex’. The new bill proposes any person alleged to be homosexual is at risk of imprisonment; in cases of ‘aggravated homosexuality’, they will face the death penalty.
4. Parents have to report homosexuality of their children within 24 hours of their discovery; if they do not denounce their LGB child to the authorities, they will face fines of $2,650.00 or 3 years in prison. Any teacher who does not report a LGB pupil to the authorities within 24 hours will face the same penalties, and any landlord/landlady who happens to give housing to a suspected homosexual will risk 7 years of imprisonment.
5. The bill punishes those who work with the LGB population, such as medical doctors working on HIV and NGOs working in the same field.
This Union Believes:
6. That the proposed bill is homophobic, inhumane and unjust. Homosexuality is natural and should not be punished. SOAS opposes the bill and also the law that is in place at the moment, which makes homosexuality a punishable offence.
7. The bill negatively effects the human rights of all Uganda citizens. It also negatively effects development.
This Union Resolves:
8. To campaign against the proposed bill and to support SOAS students and staff who are publically opposing the bill.
9. To support and help raise awareness of the issue to SOAS students, staff and alumni.
10. To support and work with organisations such as gay activists alliance intl (GAAI) and Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), as well as the NUS LGBT campaign, in lobbying against the proposed bill and campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in Uganda.
Proposed by : Ian Drummond
Seconded by : Giorgos Galanis
This Union Notes:
1. Israel’s war on Gaza of 2008-9 resulted in 1,417 Palestinian deaths in Gaza including 926 civilians, 5,303 wounded and over 50,800 made homeless.
2. The on-going blockade of Gaza prevents people from leaving or entering Gaza even for urgent medical treatment. This has led to the deaths of over 200 Palestinians, and has been condemned by Amnesty International.
3.More than 80% of Gazans are dependent on UN food aid, which itself is often insufficient to meet their needs. Supplies of many vital medicines have run out and cannot be replaced due to the blockade.
4. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the blockade for depriving Palestinians of their “most basic human rights” and causing “massive humanitarian suffering.”
5. The blockade of Gaza is collective punishment of people under occupation, and also violates international law.
6. The Viva Palestina convoy from Britain in March and the US convoy in July managed to break the siege and deliver much needed aid.
7. The next Viva Palestina convoy will be an international effort led by the UK and the US and is due to enter Gaza on the first anniversary of Israel’s bombing and invasion of Gaza – December 27th.
This Union Believes:
8. That the Viva Palestina convoys represent a valuable and successful initiative, which raises awareness about the plight of the besieged Palestinians.
This Union Resolves:
9. To support December’s Viva Palestina convoy.
10. To help organise, with supportive societies, fundraising for the convoy.
11. To collect paper, pens, pencils, ink, exercise books, textbooks and other essential equipment for educational purposes to send on the convoy.
5.7) Making the Black Officer the Minorities Officer – Failed
Proposed By: James Jacob
Seconded By: Maddy Fry
This Union notes:
1. That the Current role of the Black officer under the SOAS constitution is as follows: (source:http://www.soas.ac.uk/soasnet/governance/policies/37348.pdf)
9.1. The Black Officer shall represent the interests of black students to the Union and the School.
9.2. The Black Officer shall be the liaison with the NUS Black Students’ Campaign.
9.3. The Black Officer shall run events for Black History Month in conjunction with the Union and the School
9.4. The Black Officer shall run campaigns and events appropriate to this constituency.
2. The union also notes that the definition of the word black in the above text is those who define themselves as black. (source: Peter Baran)
This Union believes:
3. That the current role of this office leads to the underrepresentation of other ethnic minorities in SOAS and that this disproportionate representation of one group of SOAS students is undemocratic.
4. That it would be a far fairer system if the Black officer became the ethnic minorities officer whose remit is too look after the affairs of all those who define themselves as part of an ethnic minority.
This Union resolves:
To amend the constitution twice
1. To change the name of the Black Officer to the Ethnic Minorities Officer.
2. To change article 9.1. to “The Ethnic Minorities Officer shall represent the interests of students of ethnic minorities to the Union and the School.
Proposed by : Eliane Correa
Seconded by : Sebilio Uribe
This Union Notes:
1. That there are two brands of rum on sale at the SOAS bar: Captain Morgan (dark) and Bacardi (white).
2. That Bacardi rum is not Cuban- the Bacardi family fled to Miami in 1959 with the revolution.
3. That the Bacardi family fortune is estimated at $1.8bn. Much of this was accumulated in pre-Revolutionary Cuba through the exploitation of impoverished Cuban sugar workers.
4. That in 1999, the US government declassified a series of documents
5. That Bacardi supported the US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961
6. That Bacardi helped create Cuban Representatives in Exile (CRE), financed by the CIA, which plotted to assassinate Cuban leaders, supported the military coup in Chile and gave Pinochet the Freedom Medal
7. That Bacardi run the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) which is implicated in terrorist bombings, bacteriological warfare and sabotage against Cuba.
8. Bacardi’s lawyer Ignacio Sanchez, a CANF member, helped draft key sections of the Helms-Burton Act against Cuba.
9. That Havana Club, Mulata, Caney, Varadero and Santiago de Cuba are brands of Cuban rum available in the UK.
This Union Believes:
1. That independently of each individual’s points of view on the Cuban revolution, Bacardi is actively harming the Cuban economy.
2. That the Helms-Burton Act, which extends the United States’ blockade of Cuba to third countries, is a breach of international trade law.
3. That Bacardi claims itself to be Cuban which in effect is fraud and unture
4. That the embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States is unlawful, as is Bacardi’s active support for it.
5. That SOAS students who don’t like dark rum shouldn’t have no other choice but to fund terrorist activity against Cuba.
6. That Havana Club, Mulata, Caney, Varadero and Santiago de Cuba all bring much-needed hard currency into Cuba’s unstable economy.
This Union Resolves:
1. To put in place an ethical boycott of Bacardi in the Students’ Union Bar as soon as is practicable and replace it with a more ethical rum
such as Havana Club, Mulata, Caney, Varadero or Santiago de Cuba, at a price that is not more than 10% more expensive than the current price
2. To bring up this matter at the next NUS conference with the aim of extending the Boycott to all NUS supported bars.
Proposed by : Ernestine Cath
Seconded by : Meghan Thon
This Union Notes:
1. The 10:10 campaign provides a step by step plan of action to start reducing our carbon emissions. This is an incentive for the university to focus upon its energy consumption and carbon footprint and take action upon our own impact on climate change.
This Union Believes:
2. By signing up to 10:10, the student union is therefore showing its commitment to tackling climate change and can therefore ask the university to do the same.
This Union Resolves:
3. To sign up to 10:10 – a commitment to reduce our carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010.
1. That Benjamin Zephaniah is a notable community and animal rights activist who is outspoken about global and domestic injustices.
2. That Benjamin Zephaniah is a prolific contemporary Black poet.
3. That Zephaniah turned down an OBE from the Queen because it reminded him of “how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalized.” This reflects the many critiques of colonialism and empires that emanate from SOAS.
This Union Believes:
4. That the criteria for honorary president should be someone who reflects SOAS’ distinct cultural and ethical values.
5. That Benjamin Zephaniah’s contribution to community and social issues directly impact and benefit SOAS students.
This Union Resolves:
6. To appoint Benjamin Zephaniah as our honorary president for the academic year 2009-2010.
7. To invite Benjamin Zephaniah to speak and open the first UGM of the academic year 2009-2010.
1. That as a doctor and human rights activist Dr Binayak Sen has devoted 30 years of his life to struggles for social justice among impoverished adivasi (tribal) peoples in Chhattisgarh state in central India; that he is well known for setting up a self-funded cooperative hospital for mine workers, the Shaheed hospital; and that he had a significant role in evolving the statewide ‘Mitanin’ programme of training community health workers.
2. That Dr Sen has received a number of awards in recognition of his outstanding work with poor communities and his commitment to human rights, including the Christian Medical College’s Paul Harrison Award in 2004, the Indian Academy of Sciences’ Keithan Gold Medal in 2007, and the Global Health Council’s prestigious Jonathan Mann Award in 2008.
3. That in 2005 the Chhattisgarh government established an armed militia, the ‘Salwa Judum’, which has undertaken unlawful violence under the guise of tackling Maoist insurgents, thereby unleashing a civil war in parts of the state.
4. That Dr Sen’s outspoken opposition to these unlawful activities (which have included massacres of ordinary people and the forced displacement of thousands from their villages) put him in a position of confrontation with the state.
5. That as Vice President of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Dr Sen investigated and made public a large number of state-authored violations of human rights in Chhattisgarh, the last such being evidence of police involvement in the murder of 12 tribal people on 31 March 2007, an intervention that was followed shortly by his arrest under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005.
6. That the stated reason for Dr Binayak Sen’s arrest on 14 May 2007 was his alleged involvement with Maoist insurgents, in particular delivering letters for a senior Maoist leader in jail.
7. That his meetings with this prisoner were undertaken in his capacity as a doctor and as Vice President of PUCL, in order to provide medical and legal assistance, and that the meetings were carried out with the full knowledge and under supervision of jail authorities.
8. That Amnesty International has described the charges against Dr Sen as ‘trumped-up’ and has included him on their list of prisoners at risk, and further that 22 Nobel laureates wrote to the Prime Minister of India last year urging the Government of India to release Dr Sen.
9. That to date, evidence brought against Dr Sen by the prosecution has failed to stand scrutiny in court; that Dr Sen has been denied bail; and that there is evidence to suggest that in recent months the police have obstructed his repeated attempts to access urgent medical treatment.
10. That 14 May 2009 will be the second anniversary of his incarceration.
This Union Believes:
1. As a political prisoner at risk whose health is deteriorating, it is entirely appropriate that Dr Sen should be made Students’ Union Honorary President for the coming academic year (as opposed to any other academic year).
2. As an institution that has historically been associated with a worldview concerned with struggles for social justice conducted for and by the exploited and oppressed, particularly when these struggles relate to Asian and African states, it befits this Union to champion Dr Sen, whose lifelong commitment to such struggles has been rewarded with incarceration.
This Union Resolves:
1. To make Dr Binayak Sen SOAS Students’ Union Honorary President for 2009/10.
2. To take forward and assist the campaign for his release on bail pending a fair and prompt trial.
3. To take forward and assist in campaigns for social justice in the spirit of Dr Binayak Sen’s lifework.
Proposed by : Ian Drummond
Seconded by : Hanadi Katerji
This Union Notes:
1. That after a long campaign supported by the Student Union, SOAS cleaners are now paid the London Living Wage
2. That Jose Stalin Bermudez, SOAS UNISON branch chair, was a leading figure in that campaign
3. That as UNISON representative, he worked tirelessly for his members and treated all, including students, as equals.
4. That the Student’s Union has never received any complaints about either his work or his manner.
5. That the Student’s Union supported Stalin’s campaign for the London Living Wage throughout
6. That Stalin has since been sacked from his job in the post room at SOAS
This Union Believes:
7. That the sacking of Stalin is an unjustified act of victimisation and constitutes an attack on trade unionism at SOAS
8. That this attack cannot be accepted but must be met by united action by staff and students of the kind that won in the Justice for Cleaners campaign
This Union Resolves:
9. To elect Jose Stalin Bermudez as Honorary President of our Union in solidarity with his struggle for justice
10. To continue to work with SOAS UNISON to campaign to reinstate Jose Stalin Bermudez
11. To continue with the struggle to extend the London Living Wage to all staff at SOAS, and across the Bloomsbury Colleges
d) Stephen Fry – Relegated 2nd Round Proposed By: James Jacob
Seconded By: Joel Oates
This Union Notes:
That Stephen Fry is an active campaigner against the war in Iraq, having publicly withdrawn his support for the Labour Party because of the invasion.
That on the 60th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel Stephen Fry signed an open letter to the Guardian which read:
“We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state founded on terrorism, massacres and the dispossession of another people from their land. We cannot celebrate the birthday of a state that even now engages in ethnic cleansing, that violates international law, that is inflicting a monstrous collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza and that continues to deny to Palestinians their human rights and national aspirations. We will celebrate when Arab and Jew live as equals in a peaceful Middle East.”
That through a 30 year career on television, theatre and film Stephen Fry has overcome insecurities about his homosexuality and near crippling stage fright to become one of the most respected and loved people in this country today.
This Union Believes:
That Stephen Fry’s beliefs correlate with those of the majority of SOAS students.
That Stephen Fry would be a wonderful ambassador, spokesman and figurehead for SOAS
That the university would like the chance to be referenced on QI as that would be lovely.
This Union Resolves:
That Stephen Fry is a great cultural icon for this country with his great intellect, sound political views and truly side splitting humour. There is no better person to act as the ambassador for this university
Proposed by: Belle Mkenzie
Seconded by: Elly Badcock
SOAS Union notes:
1. Gender-neutral toilets are toilets facilities which can be used by everyone regardless of their gender.
2. The NUS LGBT campaign has a policy to campaign for gender-neutral toilets in all educational institutions and student unions.
3. SOAS offers a safe space for transgender students and students who identify outside of the gender binary; that is, they don’t see themselves as strictly male or female.
4. The union supports this issue. A motion on 26/02/09 was passed at UGM supporting the installation of gender-neutral toilets.
SOAS Union believes:
5. Gender-neutral toilets offer a choice for students who have an ambiguous gender presentation, and could be subject to discrimination if they use a gendered toilet.
6. Gender-neutral toilets can be used by all students regardless of gender identity.
SOAS Union resolves:
1. To have a referendum on this issue, to be voted on at the same time as the October Student Union elections, where every SOAS student can vote whether to install gender-neural toilets or not.
2. If the outcome is in favour, an existing female toilet will be become gender-neural on both Russell Square and Vernon Square campuses, as well as in The Brunei Gallery.
Proposed by: Marya Ahmed
Seconded by: Matt Richards
This Union Notes:
1. That SOAS SU has no policy on Fair trade to date.
2. Fairtrade has allowed producers to transform their lives, also shows that the current system of trade is not working.
This Union Believes:
1. Fairtrade shows that trade can be a means out of poverty if the conditions are right.
2. Seven million disadvantaged producers, workers and their families are benefiting from Fairtrade, but they and millions more still remain at the mercy of unfair international trade rules.
This Union Resolves:
1. To mandate the Students’ Union exec to raise awareness of Fairtade and the benefits that it brings to producers in developing countries with students and staff.
2. To liaise with the school and with the Fairtrade Foundation in order to work towards gaining Fairtrade status.
Proposed By: Elly Badcock
Seconded By: James Meadway
This Union Notes:
1.That the BNP is dedicated to an all-white Britain and the elimination of basic democratic rights. They mobilise support through racism, and seek the creation of a mass, fascist party able to annihilate their opponents and all those they deem ‘unacceptable’.
2. The BNP leadership is attempting to present itself as a ‘legitimate’ political organisation. They do so by seeking platforms across civil society to express their views. They have attempted to present themselves as a ‘respectable’ alternative to other political parties.
3. Many organisations, including trades unions, churches, tenants associations and this students union, have maintained a policy of No Platform for fascists, refusing to allow them to speak at meetings or to organise events.
4. Because of the discrimination and oppression that LGBT people face in society as a whole, LGBT students are disproportionately more likely to be estranged from their parents than others
5. The BBC has decided to grant BNP leader Nick Griffin on their flagship Question Time programme, Thursday 22 October.
This Union Believes:
1. The BNP is a fascist organisation with no political legitimacy and no entitlement to a space in British civil society. Their attempts at gaining ‘respectability’ are cover for their absolute opposition to democracy. They represent a direct, physical threat to all those they deem ‘unacceptable’ as the BNP-led EDL demonstrations against Muslims show.
2. No Platform is a means to defend civil society and freedom of speech against the mortal threat presented by fascist organisations. It is not about a state-imposed ban on the fascists, but of individuals and organisations coming together to refuse platforms to the BNP.
3. The BNP are not interested in a ‘debate’ with those who oppose them, but crave the appearance of legitimacy. Even if they lose the debate on Question Time, they will win the real battle as they will appear to be a political party acceptable in normal political arguments.
This Union Resolves:
1. To confirm its commitment to No Platform for fascists. The BNP has no place at SOAS.
2. To support and publicise across campus the Unite Against Fascism demonstration outside the BBC’s White City offices on 22 October.
3. To mandate Co-President Finance and Communications to write immediately to the BBC’s Director General, requesting that the BNP not appear on Question Time.
4. To offer our full support to those BBC workers and their unions should they refuse to participate in the transmission of Question Time with a BNP member on the panel.
Proposed by : Feyzi Ismail
Seconded by : Haroun Lazim
This Union Notes:
1. That American and British troops have been occupying Afghanistan for 8 years.
2. That recently US military commander Admiral Mike Mullen described the situation in Afghanistan as being “serious and deteriorating”.
3. That countless Afghan civilians, and over 200 British soldiers, have died in the past 8 years in Afghanistan, and thousands more injured.
4. That the government’s justification for the war is that they are fighting for democracy
5. That numerous journalists (such as Gary Younge) and academics (Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali among others) have described the war in Afghanistan as unwinnable and state that Britain should pull out now.
6. That the Stop the War Coalition has consistently campaigned against the war in Afghanistan.
This Union Believes:
1. That the British government should pull out of an unwinnable war.
2. That it is disingenuous of the government to say they are fighting for democracy when they openly funded Al Qaeda during the Cold War, along with America, and now support Hamid Karzai’s regime – one of the most corrupt in the world.
3. That the war is making Britain a more dangerous place.
This Union Resolves:
1. To support the national demonstration calling for ‘Troops Out of Afghanistan’ on 24th October, and other demonstrations that call for an end to the war in Afghanistan.
2. To re-affirm affiliation to the Stop the War Coalition.
1. That the UCU has been in negotiations with the School over payment terms for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows for a number of months
That the UCU and the School have failed to reach an agreement on payment for TA office hours, with the school stating that ‘the responsibility for holding additional office hours to deal with student enquiries..lies with the Convenor of each course’ and that all TAs/TFs who are not convening a course ‘will not be expected to hold additional office hours’.
3. That as a result, some TAs have stated they will refuse to have any contact with students outside tutorials, as this would constitue unpaid work. This includes email communication.
4. That the UCU are campaigning for “one hour per student per year of paid office hour time and see this as a fair calculation of the time needed with students outside the classroom.”
This Union believes:
1. That the office hours and more informal assistance (for example by email) provided by teaching assistants, like other staff, is a vital part of the learning experience at SOAS and the absence of this additional tuition negatively affects the quality of learning at SOAS.
2. That work deserves to be rewarded fairly and on a comparable basis across the School.
3. That teaching assistants are, in effect, being discriminated against by SOAS management.
4. That it is SOAS management’s failure to reach an agreement with staff and unions that has forced teaching assistants into their current action.
The School has miscalculated the effect the reduction teaching hours will have on students when they sent an email out on Oct. 1st “For the vast majority of students this will have no direct impact upon your studies in any respect and you should continue to attend all scheduled lectures and tutorials as normal.”
The School has also miscalculated the costs it quoted in the subsequent email where it states
“The initial proposal submitted by SOAS UCU requested that all tutors should be paid an additional office hour for every hour taught. The faculties have now submitted an estimate of these increased costs which are outlined below:
Faculty of Arts & Humanities – £27,600
Faculty of Languages & Cultures – £30,000
Faculty of Law & Social Sciences – £100,000
A second, more recent, SOAS UCU proposal states that TAs and TFs should be paid at the rate of one extra hour for each student taught. The estimated cost of the second proposal is approximately 25 per cent cheaper than the first.”
7. UCU has provided a statement that directly responds to this which explains details these figures as misrepresentations of costs.
“The initial UCU proposals were for one hour per week per course (for classes up to 30 students). No wonder the Faculty Offices have produced a surreal set of cost estimates if they are interpreting UCU proposals to mean “an additional office hour for every hour taught”. The later UCU proposals of one hour per student per year were a compromise position which would be fair and help to bring costs down. These proposals are quite reasonable if you want to maintain good teaching practice in the School.”
7. The School has created a situation that attempts to put students and teachers against eachother.
8. Students and Teachers should strengthen their relationships.
This Union resolves:
1. To offer its full support to teaching assistants and the union in their dispute.
2. To write to all SOAS students clarifying the situation, making clear the Students Union’s support for teaching assistants and suggesting students write to course convenors and the Pro-Director with any concerns about the quality of teaching.
3. To mandate the Co-President Welfare and Education to write to the SOAS Pro-Director, voicing the Students Union’s concerns and insisting that the demands of teaching assistants be met.
4. To mandate the Co-President of Finance & Communications to have a minimum of Bi-Monthly meetings with Representatives from the University & College Union (UCU) until issue is resolved.
5. To mandate the Academic Affairs officer to write an open letter for course representatives to give to their tutors that details the stance of the students on this matter.
6. Give UCU an A2 sized space in the Student Common Room to increase communication between students and teachers.
7. To investigate ways to minimise or counteract the impact that a reduction of contact hours with academic staff will bring.
Proposed by : Mas Naina
Seconded by : Elly Badcock
This Union Notes:
1. The National Union of Students has undergone a governance review and has consequently implemented a series of reforms.
2. Part of this includes abolishing the requirement for cross campus ballots to elect delegates for all NUS conferences; that is, there is no longer a requirement for student to elect their representatives.
3. The governance review has also split the annual NUS conference into a series of ‘zone’ conferences (welfare, education, societies and so on) as well as a smaller and much less powerful annual conference.
4. SOAS Student’s Union, alongside many other unions, as well as the NUS Black Student’s campaign and LGBT campaign, opposed these attacks on student democracy.
5. SOAS SU has consistently opposed and voted against these attacks on the rights of ordinary students to engage with the union.
6. That SOAS Constitution Schedule 4: referenda and elections 1.3 requires elections to be held for NUS conference delegates in addition to other officers and affiliation ballots
This Union Believes:
1. That the right of all students to participate in the democratic process is paramount.
2. That we should maintain cross campus ballots and defend the right of ordinary students to engage with the student union.
This Union Resolves:
1. To maintain cross-campus ballots for NUS delegates for all NUS conferences in line with our constitution.
Amendment
Union Notes:
1. NUS has cut delegation sizes to national conferences despite promises that representation for part time and other students will be increased
2. SOAS has had its delegation size cut to just two places
3. SOAS has over £350,000 in reserves making it one of the most fin ancially solvent unionsi n the country, and a tiny fraction of this (less than 0.1%) can be used to maintain previous delegate sizes SOAS had by sending an extra observer will full speaking rights, and has been successfully done over the last two years
4. The following national statement has been released expresessing concern at the cutbacks, signed by many student union Sabbatical Officer, NUS LGBT Officer and NUS Black Students Officer:
“We are writing to express our opposition to the decision to significantly cut delegation sizes to NUS Annual Conference. NUS Annual Conference 2009 agreed to increase the representation of part-time students whilst freezing the budget for conference, and allow the new Democratic Procedures Committee (DPC) to set a delegate entitlement. Many of us feared at the time this would be used as a pretext for major cuts in delegation sizes, and were accused of exaggeration and paranoia.
It seems we were right. The recently passed proposals have halved the delegate entitlement of many institutions. This will lead to a significant reduction in representation of Liberation and other minority groups and their opinions. The Black Students’ and LGBT Campaigns both have policy to increase their representation within all levels of NUS, including at Annual Conference. These cuts will set back years of work to increase participation of Liberation groups at NUS events, and follow the lack of completion of an Equality Impact Assessment on the new constitution that was demanded by an Extraordinary Conference last November.
These proposals will also create even more of a sabbatical dominated conference, with even less of a voice for grass-roots student activists. The plurality of annual conference is its greatest strength, and this will severely limit that. NUS Annual Conference should reflect the full diversity of our movement, not simply the sabbatical elite.
We the undersigned oppose the decision made by the Democratic Procedures Committee and ask that;
1. The DPC re-considers its decision
2. The DPC opposes any further proposals which decreases representation
3. Any further changes to the composition of Annual Conference are debated properly at every level of NUS”
Union Beleieves:
1. Black, Women and LGBT students representation in NUS will be adversely affected by these proposals, andt he respective national campaigns have expressed concern at these measures. For example over 1 in 5 studentsare Black, less than 1 in 20 are Union Officers, and out of tehse even fewer will come as representatives of their union in a much smaller delegation
2. representation must be maintained
Union Resolves:
1. To sign the statement
2. Write to NUS expressing our concerns, and work with local Bloomsbury colleges in this
3. To send two observers along with delegates to NUS Annual Conference, and both e,lected delegatest o Zonal conference, and any extra observers/delegates where possible within the budget contstraints
4. To continue to send our full delegate entitlement to Liberation conferences as per usual and ensure maximum representation and participation of SOAS
Proposed by : Mas Naina
Seconded By : Sebilio Uribe
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9) Boycott of Coca-Cola products in the Students’ Union Shop – Withdrawn
Proposed by : Yamuna Soto
Seconded by : Marianna Riddle
This Union Notes:
That there are already ethical boycotts in place by the Student’s Union, including those of Nestle and the big tobacco companies
That coca-cola is notorious for a wide variety of crimes against human rights and the environment
That it is currently not possible for an ethical boycott to take place in the bar due to the intricacies of the NUSSL contract
This Union Believes:
That the coca-cola corporation invests large amounts of money in the Israeli state, including owning a plant built on illegally seized Palestinian land (land that was pledged to the Palestinian people by the UN in 1967) in Kiryat Gat.
That coca-cola has still not been called to account for its treatment of trade unionists in its bottling plant in Colombia, including the torture, kidnap and murder of a number of trade union leaders, perpetrated by violent paramilitaries.
That coca-cola bottled water factories in India have taken much-needed water from drought-prone areas, leaving local villagers and farmers with scarcely enough to survive. It takes 2.72 litres of fresh water for coca-cola to produce one litre of their bottled variety.
That these cases are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to coca-cola’s activities around the world
That many students unions across the world, trade unions such as UNISON (the UK’s largest union) and other organisations such as the Labour Youth have all pledged their support to boycott coca-cola products.
That Ubuntu cola, an ethical alternative to coca-cola, is currently being sold in the shop and is highly popular
This Union Resolves:
To put in place an ethical boycott of coca-cola and all its affiliated products in the Student’s Union shop as soon as is practicable and replace them with ethical alternatives, such as Ubuntu cola
To look into the possibility of replacing all coca-cola products in the bar at a later stage
To mandate the Students Union to report back with the investigations regarding the NUSSL contract at the next UGM
To offer an alternative soft drink option in the bar for those who request it
Proposed by : Clare Solomon
Seconded by : James Meadway
This Union notes with concern,:
That cleaners at SOAS university, employed by private contractor ISS, had successfully organised in UNISON and won the London Living Wage and union recognition.
That a brutal immigration raid took place at SOAS on Friday 12th June 2009, an hour before UNISON was due to hold a rally in protest at the sacking of a union rep. The raid organised with ISS management who assembled staff in a fake meeting and blocked exits while immigration officers dressed in riot gear rushed into the room in a loud and threatening manner. The raid terrified the cleaners and SOAS staff who witnessed it. Cleaners state they were refused water and medicine and union reps were prevented from seeing their members to offer legal assistance.
A similar raid was later organised at the offices of Willis in the City where cleaners employed by Mitie had been organising in UNITE and fighting for a living wage. ISS began to check papers for cleaners on the London underground within weeks of the successful strikes for a living wage on London Underground in August 2008—sacking reps for irregular documentation, including the RMT grade chair who had documentation allowing work.
This Union Believes:
That the introduction of immigration checks and immigration raids in the workplace is divisive and damaging to union organisation and is designed to create pressure on migrant workers not to organise or to take part in action.
That companies who operate outsourced services such as cleaning wish to operate in an un-unionised,, low wage, environment and are using immigration checks as a weapon to drive down pay and conditions.
An injury to one is an injury to all. Workers of all countries of origin require unity to fight for secure jobs, decent wages and safe working conditions and immigration checks at work simply divide and weaken us.
That the students and staff of SOAS who launched immediate protests, including a student occupation, to win protection for their migrant workmates/students are to be congratulated for forcing their management to request the immediate issue of papers to the cleaners held in detention, the return of those detained and to acknowledge the lecturer’s UCU policy of non co-operation with immigration controls as well as agreeing to reconsider the outsourcing of cleaning contracts.
That immigration raids in the workplace risk the health and safety of our members by bringing the potential for violence into our workplace through the entry of riot style squads hunting down workers and also create stress for all staff who witness such raids or who have colleagues & friends detained in them.
Employers do not need to, and should not, facilitate such raids.
This Union Resolves:
To support the SOAS initiative, “Hands off my workmate!” & “Hands off my student!”, to circulate its materials among members and send delegates to the launch meeting and teach in on 17th October 2009 to be held at SOAS and to encourage other groups to participate in this and to set up other similar initiatives such as “Hands off my patient!”.
To send a message of support to the SOAS staff and students who took part in the campaign to secure the return of their cleaners with the right to work.
To demand a guarantee that our management and any existing contractors will not facilitate immigration raids at any time since these breach our safety and create an atmosphere in the workplace which is not conducive to a respectful culture of diversity.
To fight for the going rate for the job for all workers and to stop outsourcing of services which endangers wages, conditions and union organisation. Where appropriate to fight to bring services back in house.
Proposed by : Ian Drummond
Seconded by : Giorgos Galanis
This Union Notes:
1. That the Gaza War of 2008-9 resulted in 1,417 Palestinian deaths in Gaza including 926 civilians, 5,303 wounded and over 50,800 made homeless, using disproportionate force recognised by the UN fact finding mission headed by Judge Richard Goldstone.
2. The Egyptian aided Israeli siege of Gaza, ongoing since June 2007, has hindered aid and reconstruction in the Strip.
3. The Viva Palestina convoy from Britain in March managed to break the siege and deliver much needed aid, and raise public awareness of the gaza situation, as did Viva Palestina USA in July.
4. Another, joint UK-US, Viva Palestina convoy is planned for December, leaving London on the 6th.
This Union Believes:
5. That the siege of Gaza amounts to collective punishment and is thus a war crime.
6. That all efforts should be taken to break the siege.
7. That the Viva Palestina convoys represent a valuable and successful initiative towards breaking the siege.
This Union Resolves:
8. To support December’s Viva Palestina convoy.
9. To help organise, with supportive societies, fundraising for the convoy.
5.2) Support SOAS’ Footsteps to Copenhagen Campaigners – Passed
5.2) Support SOAS’ Footsteps to Copenhagen Campaigners – 
Keep SOAS Democratic
