Deeper into the Mindfield: March 2009

SOAS Students’ Union

Union General Meeting UGM

Thursday 26 February 2009

Room: JCR

4:00pm

AGENDA

Welcome & Introduction by Chair
Matters arising from previous UGM and update(s)
Students’ Union Officers’ Reports
Q & A for Union Executives
Motions-

Safe Spaces Policy
Make Apartheid History
Stop the BNP- On the Streets and at the Ballot Box
No Means No!
On the Commodification of Communism
Liberty’s ‘Common Values’ Campaign
Solidarity With Gaza
Mobilisation Against the G20 and NATO Conference
Gender Neutral Toilets
Single Equalities Act Bill
A Charter For Gaza
SOAS Airplot Patch
Working with FE Colleges on the Future of Education
Coal- Fired Power Stations
Save Our Universities: Save London Met
Strong and Active Unions: Supporting Student Activism
Increase the Union Entertainments Budget

Emergency Motions

Any Other Business (AOB) and announcements

Safe Spaces Policy

Proposed By: John Angliss

Seconded By: Hanadi Katerji

This Union Notes:

1) That this Union has excellent anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies to ensure that students as individuals will not be discriminated against or harassed because of their ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

2) That there are types of discrimination which do not target individuals, but instead target groups. For example, a recent piece of graffiti seen in the Institute of Education reads "attack all the Jews" whilst last term at the NUS Afro-Caribbean students were targeted as a group by some sabbaticals.

This Union Believes:

1) Allowing offensive behaviour or speech to go unchallenged in a way

which makes people feel humiliated, excluded or silenced is harmful to

freedom of speech at SOAS.

2) That SOAS ought to put a policy in place to protect its students

from intimidation simply because of group membership.

This Union Resolves:

1) To add to the SOAS Constitution the following:

"SOAS Safe Spaces Policy.

Threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour should not be directed at racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation or religious groups in the SOAS Union in a way likely to intimidate members of these groups. In the event that any individual is found to have broken this policy they will be subject to the disciplinary procedures of the Students Union."

Make Apartheid History

Proposed By: Mjiriam Abu Samra

Seconded By: Elian Weizman

The Union Notes:

1) Israel is responsible for ethnically cleansing 750,000 Palestinians in 1948, on whose lands and properties, the state of Israel was later established. The expulsion – planned and systematically carried out by the founders of the state of Israel – was essential to the creation of an expressly Jewish state.

2) In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, the occupation of which remains till today. The ongoing occupation changed its form but not its essence, thereby ignoring UN resolution 242 which calls for the “withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied” in the 1967 war.

3) Israel continues to build an eight metres high wall on Palestinian land inside the post-1967 occupied West Bank, contravening the July 2004 ruling by the International Court of Justice and causing the forcible separation of Palestinian communities from one another and the annexation of additional Palestinian land.

4) Within the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israel continues a policy of settlement expansion in direct violation of the forth Geneva Convention. The settlements are for Jews only, housing approximately 500,000 residents, and are made possible through the settler-colonial theft of Palestinian Arab land.

5) The official ideology of the state of Israel is Zionism, embodied in the state’s laws which grants special rights to Jews and thereby structurally discriminating its Palestinian citizens. This ideology promotes racism and xenophobia through acts of parliament, supported by a set of racist laws under which different laws regarding citizenship, housing, land ownership, and marriage apply depending on whether someone is classified in law as “Jewish” or “non-Jewish”

6) Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and South African anti-Apartheid activist wrote in The Guardian on the 29th of April 2002: “I've been very deeply distressed in my visit to the Holy Land; it reminded me so much of what happened to us black people in South Africa.”

This Union Believes:

1) Israel is an Apartheid state.

2) Apartheid is racism and therefore we should oppose it.

3) Equality and human rights should be upheld.

4) Israel should stop discriminating against the indigenous Palestinian population.

5) The Palestinians have the right to return to their homeland and Israel should implement all international law that it is currently violating.

6) The Occupation is illegal and it should end immediately.

This Union Resolves:

1) The SOAS SU should endorse the events of the Israeli Apartheid week which will take place in different academic institutions in the UK and worldwide.

2) Affiliate our Union to the “The International Campaign To End The Siege On Gaza” and engage in education campaigns to publicise the injustice of Israeli apartheid.

3) Affiliate our Union to the “Campaign for Academic Boycott of Israeli Institutions” carried out in the UK by BRICUP and by PACBI in Palestine.

4) Issue a press release announcing the result of the debate on this motion and to mandate the Co- President Finance and Communications to report on the outcome of this debate on the SU Website and all relevant Union media.

5) The Union will support the work done by various individuals and institutions whose agenda aims at ending Israeli Apartheid practices and policies, among them Israeli based platforms such as Zochrot and various human rights organisations.

Stop the BNP – On the streets and at the ballot box

(Welfare zone amendment to motion 710)

Proposed By: Matt Richards

Seconded By: Symeon Brown

This Union Believes:

1) The Nazi BNP is aiming to win a seat in the European elections in June by blaming the economic crisis on immigration.

2) That they are using the election campaign to try and get back onto the streets. BNP "flash" stalls have appeared in many towns to distribute leaflets and promote their organisation.

3) The BNP's leadership believe that to wield real power they need to turn their electoral success into a bigger core of activists capable of mobilising racists on the streets.

4) That the BNP's membership lists have revealed they have a number of members in positions of responsibility.

This Union Further Believes:

1) We need a clear understanding that the ultimate aim of the BNP is to use its electoral success to build a movement on the streets capable of destroying all forms of democracy.

2) It is the anti-democratic fascist ideology of the BNP, not distaste for its particular policies, which leads us to "No Platform" it.

3) That we have to promote the idea that no-platform is about building a mass movement to remove the BNP from our Unions, Universities, workplaces and communities.

This Union Resolves:

1) To reaffirm NUS’ no platform for fascists policy.

2) To develop an anti-fascist strategy that goes beyond elections to challenging the BNP on the streets and our campuses.

3) To support the LMHR carnival in Stoke on Trent on May 30th.

4) To send this motion to NUS conference 2009 as an amendment to motion 710 in the welfare zone after deleting resolves 5. To send the proposer of this motion or their proxy to compositing.

No Means No!

Proposed By: Elly Badcock

Seconded By: Hilary Aked

This Union Notes:

That the London Student headline story last week, “Asking for It”, reported that a third of students believe that rape is partially or totally a woman’s fault if she’s drunk or wearing revealing clothes.

That London Mayor Boris Johnson has cut funding to rape crisis centres around London by more than half.

That on Wednesday, the activation of a rape alarm in the lower ground floor toilets received no response from security.

This Union Believes:

That rape is never a woman’s fault.

That if a woman can’t and/or doesn’t say ‘no’, consent is not implied.

That women should be able to dress however they so choose without assumptions or prejudices based upon it.

This Union Resolves:

To support a SOAS ‘No Means No’ campaign, culminating in a day of action with the money going to rape prevention and rape crisis charities.

To provide clearer and more easily available information and support for victims of sexual assault, both in the student welcome packs and at campus information points.

To support any action in response to the funding cuts mentioned above.

To call on the Student’s Union to include self-defence classes as a part of Fresher’s Week, funded by the school.

To force the school to implement a strategy for responding to emergency alarm calls and ensure security staff are trained how to deal with the alarm calls.

To install rape alarms in the male and gender-neutral toilets.

On the Commodification of Communism

Proposed by: Clare Solomon

Seconded by: Ed Emery

This Union Notes:

1) Birkbeck are hosting a conference entitled: On the Idea of Communism with big name speakers such as Antonio Negri, Terry Eagleton, Michael Hardt, Alain Badiou and more.

2) These speakers are from a broad range of schools of thought on the left.

3) This conference costs £100 for employed people and £45 to students.

4) There are no concessions for people who can not afford these sums.

This Union Believes:

1) A university should not charge, especially students, for academic conferences.

2) Charging for an event like this goes against the spirit of Communism.

3) Charging for this event is politically motivated.

4) Students have enough financial troubles without having to pay even further to engage in academic dialogue.

5) Universities should be a place of learning and not for making money.

6) Marketisation of education will lead to a narrow output of educational programmes.

This Union Resolves:

1) Write a letter to Birkbeck expressing our disappointment and objection.

2) Invite the speakers of this conference to speak for free at SOAS on March 14.

3) Promote this conference if the speakers agree to do it.

4) Ask the Executive of SOAS SU to decide on further actions should they not.

5) Support students who wish to express their objections in other ways.

6) Fight against increasing marketisation of education.

Liberty’s ‘Common Values’ Campaign

Proposed By: Farah Elahi

Seconded By: Nizam Uddin

This Union Notes:

1) The Human Rights Act 1998 introduced the rights of the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law.

2) In December 2008, a poll conducted for Liberty by ComRes found that 87% of respondents do not remember ever seeing or receiving any information from the Government explaining the Human Rights Act.

3) Liberty's 'Common Values' campaign aims to broaden respect and understanding for human rights values and the Human Rights Act. Primarily the campaign aims to explain the Human Rights Act to people who are hostile to it, or who have little / no knowledge of it

4) Liberty (also known as The National Council for Civil Liberties) is one of the UK's leading civil liberties and human rights organisations. Liberty works to promote human rights and protect civil liberties through a combination of test case litigation, lobbying, campaigning and the provision of free advice.

This Union Believes:

1) In fundamental rights and freedoms, the shared values that protect every member of the human family and the society we seek to build together

2) It is important that there is a law that protects rights and freedoms in the UK, and that people are made aware of these rights

This Union Resolves:

1) To support the aim of Liberty's campaign 'Common Values', protecting and promoting human rights values and the Human Rights Act, and we agree to pledge our support in name.

2) To pass on information to the student body about Liberty's campaigns

Solidarity with Gaza

Society and Citizenship Zone: Amendment to motion 803

Proposed by: Clare Solomon

Seconded by: Hilary Aked

This Union Believes:

1) That the massacre of over 1300 in Gaza is the result of a bombardment by one of the most heavily armed states on the planet against one of the most densely populated ghettos in the world.

2) The Israeli government has been left free to act because of the acquiescence of western leaders and the background of the “war on terror.”

3) That all this takes place as a result of 60 years of occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people backed by the Western states.

4) That the student solidarity movement for Gaza has been one of the biggest in a generation including over 25 student occupations and sit-ins.

This Union Further Believes:

1) That the Palestinians have a right to resist the occupation and decide their own future.

2) That the Palestinian “state” is completely at the mercy of the Israeli government which has broken up the democratically elected government of Palestine.

3) There is no equivalence between the two sides. We must base our position on solidarity with the people of Palestine.

This Union Resolves:

1) To support students following through the demands of the occupations. (Scholarships for Palestinian students, donating spare equipment to Gaza, support fundraising for Gaza, disinvestment from arms companies).

2) To encourage Students Unions to twin with Palestinian universities.

3) To support future protests over Palestine by the Stop the War Coalition and Palestine Solidarity campaign.

4) To send this motion to NUS conference 2009 as an amendment to motion 803 in the society and citizenship zone after deleting resolves 4. To send the proposer of this motion or their proxy to compositing.

Mobilisation Against the G20 and NATO Conference

Proposed By: Feyzi Ismail

Seconded by Haroun Lazim

This Union Notes:

1) The leaders of the most powerful nations in the world – the G20 – are meeting in London on 2nd April to discuss the global economic crisis.

2) NATO is meeting on 4th and 5th April in Strasbourg, France to celebrate the 60th anniversary of NATO.

3) Most G20 leaders refused to condemn Israel's attack on Gaza or the continuing blockade, while NATO leads the occupation of Afghanistan and is positioning Afghanistan as the new front of the war on terror.

4) The US, Britain and other countries still sell arms to Israel while the devastation and death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan continue.

5) SOAS has been at the forefront of student activism, initiating and supporting the student occupations against the bombing of Gaza.

This Union Believes:

1) The economic crisis is the worst crisis since the 1930s and will have destructive consequences for students, working people and the poor worldwide.

2) British troops should be withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan, and more aid should be sent to Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis.

3) Britain and the US have spent billions of pounds on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and have injected billions more into the global economy to stave off its total collapse.

4) There is an inextricable link between the economic crisis and the occupations – the same countries that are responsible for the occupations and responsible for the economic crisis – and it is working people who are fighting in the wars abroad as well as fighting for jobs and public services at home.

This Union Resolves:

1) To support and mobilise the maximum number of students to participate in the anti-war march and rally in London on 1st April and protest against the G20 meeting on 2nd April, called by Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the British Muslim Initiative and CND.

2) To support the mobilisation on 28th March organised by the Put People First campaign calling for the G20 leaders to put jobs, justice and climate first.

3) To publicise and support the protest against the NATO conference in Strasbourg, France in association with the Stop the War Coalition.

Gender Neutral Toilets

Proposed By: Caroline Smart

Seconded By: Apphia Nichols

This Union Notes:

People go to SOAS. Some are men, some are women, and some are people who are gender diverse or transgendered

That all of the toilet facilities are exclusive to either men or women, except the disabled toilets

This Union Believes:

Equal opportunities policies which refer to discrimination on grounds of sex can now be considered automatically to include discrimination on grounds of transsexualism. This university should adopt current anti-discriminatory codes of practice regarding transgendered people ( see Press for Change Employment working Group http://www.pfc.org.uk)

That all people should be protected from discrimination and harassment on the grounds of gender identity or gender presentation.

That transgendered people and people who's gendered identity is not immediately visable should be able to use toilet facilities without being regarded with suspicion, riddicule or hostility

Most people of indeterminate gender end up using the disabled toilets by default. This is unacceptable

By having unisex as well as single gendered toilets everyone has an appropriate choice

This Union Resolves:

to create / allocate one toilet facility on the ground floor, or wherever is practical and safe, which is gender neutral/unisex, and can be used by both men, women and transgendered people in each of the following:

The main college building, The Brunei Gallery, Vernon Square, as a matter of urgency, and to liaise with the appropriate authorities to consider a more comprehensive system of alternating single sex gendered toilets with unisex toilets.

Single Equalities Act Bill (Appendix A)

Proposed By: Rukayah Sarumi

Seconded By: Hana Riazuddin

This Union Notes:

1) The Government is currently working on and trying to pass through a Single Equalities Act Bill in the Spring term.

(2) This bill is currently considering extending 'positive action' to the workforce to redress the under representation of Women and Minorities.

(3) This union also notes that there is a serious underrepresentation of students from minority backgrounds at Britain's leading universities and schools.

This Union Believes:

1) For Britain to progress as a thriving and creative society we must make equality a reality in the lives of everyone who lives, works or studies in this country. This can be a country where we are all able to participate fully and equally in society as the people we are, in all our ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. Our schools, colleges and universities can be places where no one is diminished by racial, gender or other forms of prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination.

2) To achieve these aims it is essential that our educational institutions, at all levels, be integrated so that they truly reflect the diversity of Britain’s youth.

3) We have the opportunity to place integration on the national agenda as never before. The Government is introducing a new Equality Bill this year. For the first time the Government will make Positive Action possible in this law. It will be possible to make race or gender a factor in employment and promotion, in order to counteract existing historic structural and systematic discrimination that has traditionally kept Black, Asian, other minority or women workers out. If we are serious about ending racism and sexism in education we must fight boldly for this scheme to be extended to the whole educational system.

4) Equality is the key to our future and separate education can never be equal.

5) We need to change the situation where, for example, black, Asian, and other ethnic minority students are seriously under-represented in the leading universities, and our schools are becoming more segregated than the neighbours in which students live.

6) This will require a creative, determined and active approach from all sections of society to devise and enforce Positive Action plans and programmes that can achieve integration and make strides towards equality. It will take action on all fronts to make the words in the Single Equalities Bill a reality in our lives.

This Union Resolves:

1) Join the call for the Government to include in its forthcoming Equality Bill a statutory requirement for Positive Action schemes that will take race and gender into account as factors in the admission if students to our schools, colleges and universities, so that they truly reflect the diversity of the young people of Britain’s towns and cities and the nation as a whole.

2)Campaign for SOAS to take a public position supporting the extension of the Single Equalities Bill to educational admissions processes in schools, colleges and universities.

3) Actively campaign for SOAS to implement Positive Action in its recruitment and student applications process.

4) Publicise and build for the Movement for Justice- called national demonstration for the extension of the Single Equalities Bill to Education.

5) Endorse and publicize the Movement for Justice Students Conference in May, which will bring students from schools, colleges and universities together at SOAS to discuss a national campaign of action

6) Encourage other Student Unions to adopt this motion and publicise widely the stand that SOAS Union has taken

7) SOAS Black Officer(s) to carry out a working group made up of a wide array of SOAS students open to work in conjunction with other unions to implement the policy of this motion.

A Charter for Gaza

Proposed By: Marianna Riddle

Seconded By: Haroun Lazim

This Union Notes:

1) The Israeli assault on Gaza has left 1,300 people dead, and destroyed hospitals, schools and universities.

This Union Believes:

1) We must call on our University to support the reconstruction efforts in Gaza. In particular, to support the rebuilding of the education system.

This Union Resolves:

1) To lobby the University to:

a. Support the reconstruction of the education system in Gaza.

b. Withdraw all investments in the arms trade.

c. Set up a boycott, divestment and sanctions society.

d. Create scholarships for students from Palestine, and ensure University authorities guarantee safe passage for Palestinian students to get to the UK without hindrance.

e. Build links with academic institutions in Palestine, including twinning with a Palestinian University.

f. Support the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza.

SOAS Airplot Patch

Proposed by: Hanni Schoelermann

Seconded by: Yamuna Soto

This Union Notes:

1. If the approved Heathrow airport expansion plans to go ahead and the third runway is built as planned, Heathrow airport will be responsible for emitting 27 million tones of CO2, making it the biggest single source of carbon dioxide emissions in the UK.

2. These expansion plans directly contravene the UK government's pledge to cut UK carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.

This Union Believes:

1. The Heathrow expansion will negatively impact on the global climate and send climate change spinning out of control, for which reason we need to show our clear discontent und unwillingness to accept the expansion plans.

This Union Resolves:

1. We condemn the investment in hugely carbon-emitting projects for the above stated reasons.

2. The SOAS Union will look into the viability of buying a plot of land on proposed runway ground and thereby take a clear stance on the matter.

Working with FE colleges on The Future of Education

Proposed By: Katie Boothby

Seconded By: Sebilio Lillo

This Union Notes:

1) At the UGM on the 19/11/08 the union was mandated to campaign for free education.

2) The union is already engaged with other universities on campaigning for this.

3) Most of us here will not be directly affected by further changes to government funding of education.

4) It is further education student that will bear the brunt of any further changes.

5) SOAS has partner further education colleges (City & Islington, city of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, City Lit, Tower Hamlets and Westminster Kingsway)

This Union Believes:

1) The fight for a free education will not be won over night. It will require sustained effort and unity across institutions and organisations.

2) Further Education students are the future for Higher Education Institutions.

This Union Resolves:

1) Organise a free day long teach in for local FE college students. The Teach-In will cover background on the history of HE funding and current approaches to the issues surrounding it. It will also give an introductory guide to campaigning for Free Education.

2) Create links within the colleges to promote and develop this and future events.

Coal-fired Power Stations

Proposed By: Hanni Schoelermann

Seconded By: Yamuna Soto

This Union Notes:

1. Coal-fired power stations are the fastest growing source of carbon emissions in the UK and most other industrialised countries and make it impossible to meet the carbon reductions necessary to stop climate change.

2. UK reliance on coal-fired power stations is sending us into climate chaos by grossly contributing to total UK carbon emissions.

3. Despite the above, billions of pounds are invested into new coal-fired power stations in the UK alone every year, with the plans such a power station in Kingsnorth only being a recent example.

4. Carbon capture and storage does not work, and nor does there exist a carbon-neutral technology for coal-fired power plants.

This Union Believes:

1. Our responsibility as a Union is to increase awareness of the above problems linked to coal-fired power stations.

2. If no action is taken in this matter, the planned projects will go ahead and spin the climate out of control.

3. Instead of investing in coal, investments should centre on renewable energy that is actually low-carbon (thus excluding biofuel and biochar power stations).

This Union Resolves:

1. The Union condemns investments in coal-powered and non-renewable energy plants.

2. The Union actively supports campaigns in the matter and works to increase awareness of the sensitivity and urgency of the issue.

Save Our Universities: Save London Met

(Education zone amendment to motion 605)

Proposed By: Katie Boothby

Seconded By: Ben Sellers

This Union Believes:

1) That we must remain committed to the idea that another education is possible.

2) Education could be about finding and developing the potential of everyone but is instead about giving people skills for employment.

3) “Teaching” universities that have driven forwards widening participation are failing through lack of funds and the government’s narrow skills agenda.

4) Students at London Metropolitan are now paying the price for the governments market driven policies.

This Union Further Believes:

1) London Met has had its teaching budget cut by £18 million with the government clawing an extra £38 million in back payments.

2) University management quickly announced that at least 330 staff would lose their jobs to balance the books. No staff unions or students were consulted during the crisis.

3) Universities should be run democratically by staff and students not as a business by unaccountable managers.

4) We should demand that the government increase central funding at London Met and across the sector through taxation.

This Union Resolves:

1) To support the “Save London Met” campaign alongside UCU and Unison.

2) To help organise a national day of action for London Met to include days of action on campus with meetings and collections for London Met UCU.

3) To publicise all protests and meetings called by the campaign.

4) To link it with a national campaign for free education and grants for all funded by progressive taxation.

5) To send this motion to NUS conference 2009 as an amendment to motion 605 in the education zone after deleting resolves 5. To send the proposer of this motion or their proxy to compositing.

Strong and Active Unions: Supporting Student Activism

Amendment to motion 503

Proposed by: Clare Solomon

Seconded by: James Kirkham

This Union Believes:

1)That the wave of student occupations over the massacre in Gaza marks a turning point in student politics.

2) Over 20 Universities have gone into occupation in 2009 often linking up with each other to exchange speakers and experiences.

3) The NUS’ position has been unreservedly hostile echoing an argument usually found in the right-wing press that protests are “intimidating”.

4) NUS’ position has opened the doors to some Student Unions collaborating with their Universities to victimise student activists.

This Union Further Believes:

1) That the student occupations enjoyed huge support from the general student population and some of the mainstream press.

2) That our unions should help spread, promote and support students protests to engage new activists.

3) That the occupations point to a type of student unionism directly opposed to the managerialism of trustee boards and best practice.

4) That if we could unite NUS with the activism of the occupations we could revitalise many of our unions.

This Union Resolves:

1) To promote the tactic of student occupations.

2) To oppose the victimisations of students involved in the occupations – whether by their university or their union.

3)To create a legal briefing to help activists planning an occupation (within the spirit of this amendment).

4) To invite speakers from the occupations to talk about their experience at NUS events.

5) To send this motion to NUS conference 2009 as an amendment to motion 503 in the strong and active unions zone after deleting resolves 5. 14) To send the proposer of this motion or their proxy to compositing.

Increase the Union Entertainments Budget

Proposed By: Ben Sellers

Seconded By: Hanadi Katerji

This Union Notes:

1. That the current budget for all entertainment outside Freshers’ week is ￡3000.

2. That this year the Union Bar is on course to make a profit for the first time since 2005/6.

3. That, according to the last set of Union accounts, the Union has a surplus of over ￡250k.

4. That, with one exception, the Union has provided live music every week of the academic year, and on several occasions more than once per week. Performers at these events have been a mixture of SOAS students and professional musicians.

5. These events have consistently attracted large amounts of students, including Union members.

This Union Believes:

1. That there is a definite correlation between attendance at Union entertainment events and an increase in revenue at the SOAS bar#[1].

2. That, although the Union Executive have negotiated hard to bring in professional musicians at exceptionally low rates, the current budget restricts their ability to book quality acts.

3. That an increase in the amount allocated to entertainments is likely to be recuperated in bar revenue.

This Union Resolves:

1. To increase the Union entertainment budget for 2009/10 from ￡3000 to ￡5000 with the approval of Union trustees.

2. To take this extra money from the SU trading account.

Appendix A

The Single Equality Act – the biggest piece of equality and diversity legislation in 40 years! (Source: http://www.singleequality.co.uk/single_equality_act.php)

What is it?

As part of the General Election manifesto of 2005 the Labour Government pledged a new Single Equality Bill to replace, streamline and simplify existing legislation.

With over 40 years of equality related law we currently have

nine major pieces of legislation

around 100 statutory instruments setting out connected rules and regulations and

more than 2,500 pages of guidance and statutory codes of practice!

This Bill is now at an advanced stage and has been widely consulted on (with some 4500 responses to consultation).

It is anticipated it will be taken back to Parliament with the results of consultation at the end of 2008 and should receive Royal Assent in the spring of 2009, when it will become an Act of Parliament and enter the statute books.

What will it mean for employers?

There will be an impact on all employers as it will include new legislation.

It should also help small and medium sized employers who may be struggling to keep up with diversity legislation and good practice. It will be written in Plain English!

It is likely to include:

Introduction of a new Equality Duty on the public sector – this will bring together the three existing duties on race, disability and gender, and extend to gender reassignment, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief

Outlawing of age discrimination in the provision of goods and services

Requirement for transparency – in gender pay, ethnic minority and disability employment

Extension of positive action – this is being viewed by some as making positive discrimination lawful when faced with 2 equally well qualified potential employees!

Strengthening enforcement – this may include extending discrimination cases to allow for representatives to take a case to court, and not just the victim

How can Single Equality Training and Consultancy (SETC) help you?

At SETC we are viewing this as an excellent opportunity for employers to revisit their diversity policies and procedures and develop new strategies to bring the organisation bang up to date. SETC can offer consultancy and training to develop diversity strategy, policies and procedures tailored to your needs with the associated training for management and frontline staff in all aspects of age, gender, disability (including access audits through DWAL ‘Disability – with a Life’), race, sexual orientation and religion or belief.

Appendix B

Schedule 1: Union General Meeting (Constitution pp. 15- 17)

1. A Union General Meeting (UGM) shall be held at least once a term. The proposed dates shall

be determined by the Sabbatical Officers and advertised at the start of the year, and no less than ten days before a meeting. Any change to the published proposed dates shall be advertised as widely as possible using electronic and printed media.

2. An Extraordinary UGM may be called at no less than three days’ notice in term time by

(a) the Union's Sabbatical Officers; or

(b) the Union Executive Committee; or

Communications.

The agenda of an Extraordinary UGM shall include only those items which by their very nature

cannot wait for the next scheduled UGM.

The Co–President Finance & Communications (or in his/her absence, one of the other two

Sabbatical Officers) shall rule on whether or not the item requires consideration by an

Extraordinary UGM.

3. The organisation of the UGM shall be the responsibility of the Finance & Communications

Sabbatical Officer, or shall be arranged by the Union Executive Committee if the Finance &

Communications Sabbatical Officer is the cause of the meeting. The UGM date and motion

submission deadline shall be publicised as widely as possible using electronic and printed media.

4. The deadline for submission of motions shall be three working days before the meeting, at which point the agenda including motions in full shall be publicised as widely as possible by the meeting organiser using electronic and printed media. All motions must be proposed and

seconded by ordinary members of the Union (which includes Sabbatical and part-time Union

Officers).

The quorum for the UGM shall be 50 ordinary members except in the cases listed below

where a quorum shall be 80 ordinary members:

(a) motions of no confidence in a Union Officer;

(b) motions to amend the Constitution and Schedules.

A quorum shall be assumed unless specifically asked to be taken by any one ordinary member,

except in the two cases listed above where a quorum count shall be taken as a matter of

course.

5. There shall be a Chair for the UGM who shall normally not be a member of the Union. It shall be the responsibility of the organiser to select and brief the Chair. The Finance & Communications Sabbatical Officer shall act as Deputy Chair or, if inappropriate, a member voted for by the UGM. The Chair shall not preside over an issue in which s/he has a vested interest, and should immediately state this if it is the case and pass the Chair to the Deputy.

6. The Chair shall be responsible for the smooth running of the meeting and shall enable all

opinions to be aired. In the event of any situation arising not being covered by meeting

regulations, the Chair shall rule on the procedure to be adopted in that meeting. If necessary,

steps shall accordingly shall be taken to amend this Schedule to cover such a situation in the

future.

7. Any member of the Union has the right to attend and speak at a UGM. Any non-member who

wishes to attend and/or speak must inform the organiser beforehand who will obtain receive the permission of the Chair. Any member wishing to speak must raise her/his hand. The Chair of the meeting shall decide the order of speaking.

8. There shall be minutes of the UGM. The minutes shall be taken by the Union Secretary or nominee. The Union Secretary shall produce the agenda and papers for the UGM and shall distribute them in advance. The papers shall include the minutes of the previous meeting, management or executive officers’ reports and the text of submitted motions. The agenda of

meetings shall normally be taken in the following order:

· Welcome from the Chair

· Checking the minutes of the previous meeting for accuracy

· Matters arising from the minutes of the last meeting

· Management reports

· Questions about management reports

· Reports from the Union Executive Committee

· Questions to the Union Executive Committee

· Debates on submitted motions

· Debates on emergency motions

· Any other business

Amendments to the running order may be requested by the UGM at any point and passed by a two thirds majority vote.

9. All debates on motions shall proceed as follows:

· the proposer of the motion shall make a speech

· any changes to the motion shall be raised (according to paragraph 10 below)

· the Chair shall invite a speech against the debate

· the Chair shall balance the number of speeches for and against the debate

· the Chair shall invite any questions and statements relating to the debate and

consider any new proposed changes to the motion (according to paragraph 10

below)

· the proposer of the motion shall have the right to sum up.

The vote shall be taken by a show of hands, with proof of ordinary membership. Proxy votes are not permitted. The Chair shall not normally be allowed to vote, unless s/he is a member of the Union and there is a tie, in which case s/he shall have a casting vote. In the case of a tie that cannot be resolved, the motion shall be carried forward to the next UGM.

10. Changes to the motion shall proceed as follows:

· any changes to the motion shall be raised after the proposer has spoken

· the Chair shall invite and take a speech against the changes

· the Chair shall balance the number of speeches for and against the changes

· the Chair shall leave time for questions and statements before the vote

· when all changes have been voted upon, the main motion shall be discussed and

voted upon.

11. A majority of one is required to pass a motion with the following exceptions:

· motions of no confidence require a two-thirds majority vote

· motions to amend the Constitution require a two-thirds majority vote

· motions to suspend any section of the Constitution require a seven-eighths majority vote.

12. Emergency motions may only be discussed at the discretion of the Chair, if they deal with

issues which by their nature could not be passed on to the next UGM. The motion shall be

submitted in writing to the Chair before the start of the meeting.

13. The following procedural motions may be moved during debate and shall only apply to the

motion under debate at the time of the motion being moved:

(a) that the meeting has no confidence in the Chair;

(b) that the ruling of the Chair be overturned;

(d) that the motion be taken to a vote without further discussion;

(e) that the motion be dismissed;

(f) that the motion be referred to the next UGM;

(g) that the motion be taken in parts;

(h) a request for a Point of Order;

(i) a request for a Point of Information.

14. In the event of a procedural motion 13(a) or 13(b) being proposed, the occupant of the Chair shall leave the Chair which shall be taken by the Deputy Chair.

15. In the case of 13(a), there shall be one speech for the procedural motion and the challenged occupant shall have the right to reply immediately prior to the vote.

In the case of 13(b), the challenged occupant may return to the Chair but must abide by the decision of the meeting upon the challenged ruling.

16. The quorum may be challenged under procedural motion 13(c), at which point the Chair shall make a ruling on whether or not the meeting has a quorum. If the meeting is found not to have a quorum, no motions may be passed and the meeting shall only continue at the discretion of the Chair.

17. If members are unable to see, hear or require clarification this may be raised under procedural motion 13(c), at which point the Chair shall make all appropriate possible steps to rectify this.

18. In the case of 13(d), being passed, no further discussion on this motion shall be permitted. If carried, the proposer of the motion shall immediately sum up and the motion shall then be put to the vote.

19. In the case of 13(g), being passed, a vote shall be taken on each individual resolution of the motion.

20. In the case of 13(h), a Point of Order shall be raised by a speaker requesting "a point of order".

It must be framed as a question to the Chair, must relate specifically to the conduct of the

debate at that time, must never refer to the subject matter under debate and must contain no

argument.

21. In the case of 13(i), a Point of Information may be requested through the Chair by a call of

“information”. Points of Information must be phrased as a short question to the meeting, and

must be used solely to seek or offer strictly information. They must not refer to matters of

opinion.

22. At all times procedural motions shall take precedence over all other business.

Deeper into the Mindfield

Monday, 23 March 2009

Saturday, 21 March 2009

Sunday, 8 March 2009

On the Commodification of Communism

Saturday, 7 March 2009

No to 'lasting partnerships' with police: No to spying on campus.

Monday, 2 March 2009

Full motions document for SOAS UGM 25th Feb 2009

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