OU Students, Staff & Alumni Against Fees & Cuts motion for trade union branches & trades councils

This trades council/branch notes:

• The publicly stated commitment of the Open University to “promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality university education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.” Is being severely undermined by the announcement of £5000 tuition fees for 260,000 working students who comprise the UK’s largest university.
• The importance of Higher Education Funding Council for England funding to achieving this commitment.
• The cuts to this funding introduced by the current coalition government are ideologically driven and have not at any stage involved consultation of students, the students union, tutors or Open University affiliated unions such as the UCU.
• The recent announcement from the Open University of an increase in tuition fees to £5,000, with existing research showing that debt deters students from poorer backgrounds from applying to university.
• The potential for the Open University’s new transitional arrangements to discriminate against students who need to take breaks from studying because of disabilities, caring responsibilities or financial need will place poorer students into even greater financial difficulty and will deter many from commitment to further education, particularly later in life, which the Open University was founded for.

This trades council/branch agrees to:

• Affiliate to the Open University Students, Staff and Alumni Against Fees and Cuts campaign.
• To send delegates to a national demonstration on September 17 in London.

Letter to Hinckley Times

I was pleased to see your coverage of the June 30 public sector strike in defence of pensions. I must, though, correct one glaring error in your report.

In the article headed "Striking teachers disrupt schools", you say that the march from Argents Mead was to protest against the strike. It was just the opposite - the march and rally were held in support of the strikers, several of whom attended the event and spoke at the rally.

The event was co-organized by Hinckley Against Fees & Cuts (HAFAC) and the Pensioners Action Group. Both organizations oppose public sector cuts, fees and privatization. HAFAC supports action - including strikes - to stop government and local attacks on our jobs, pay and services.

Unfortunately, the local Save Our Services group did not back the strike - though some SOS supporters did. SOS is chaired by the local LibDems, and while they have a record of opposing cuts made by the Tory county council, the LibDems are firmly behind the coalition government's austerity and privatization programme - including Lansley's bill to privatize the NHS.

On that score, the Tory-LibDem coalition has shown it is not open to persuasion. The only way to stop them is active resistance. HAFAC is convinced the coalition can be stopped, provided enough people join in action against them.

Published 14 July 2011, issue 6393, p10

Media release

Hinckley Against Fees & Cuts (Hafac) founded

Following several weeks of fruitful work, a group of anticuts campaigners have formally set up Hinckley Against Fees & Cuts.

In the run up to the recent public sector strike, activists held stalls, collected petition signatures and gave out leaflets opposing cuts and supporting the strike. We co-organized a successful march and rally on June 30, attended by striking teachers, civil servants and supporters. The contacts made formed the basis to set up Hafac as an ongoing campaign group.

Hafac opposes all cuts to public services, including jobs, pay and pensions. We oppose all fees, especially in healthcare and education. Privatization should be stopped and reversed. We  mount our own campaigns and work with others who share our aims. We support action taken by others against cuts, fees and privatization, including strikes.

Membership of Hafac is open to individuals and groups who share our aims. It costs £2 for individuals (£1 students, unemployed, pensioners), and £5 for groups.

Over the summer, we will focus on a campaign to save Next Generation, the drop in and counselling service for vulnerable young people. Next Gen provide a unique service, yet the county council has cut 100% of its support for the charity group. Staff are faced with redundancy, and the young people who depend on their dedicated and professional support would be abandoned. Next Gen must be saved!

Readers can find out more about Hafac and the Next Gen campaign on Facebook, email us at hafac11@gmail.com, or text us on 07894 225537.

Constitution

Hinckley Against Fees & Cuts ~ Constitution

Name

The name of our organization is Hinckley Against Fees & Cuts (Hafac).

Platform

Hafac opposes all cuts – local and national - to public services, including jobs, pay and pensions. We oppose all fees, especially in healthcare and education. Privatization should be stopped and reversed.

Hafac mounts its own campaigns and works with others who share our aims. We support action taken by others against cuts, fees and privatization, including strikes.

Hafac is proequality. We oppose discrimination and oppression based on gender, 'race', sexual orientation, age or disability. We do not work or have links with groups who promote sexism, racism, homophobia or other forms of discrimination.

Membership & fees

Membership is open to individuals and groups who share the aims in our platform. Individuals pay an annual membership fee. Groups pay an annual affiliation fee.

Individual fee: £2/year; students, unemployed & pensioners £1; solidarity £5

Group fee: £5/year; solidarity £10

Voting

Each member has one vote, and each affiliated group one delegate with one vote. Decisions are made by majority of those present at a meeting.

Officers & committee

A secretary, coordinator and treasurer/organizer will be elected by majority vote of those present at the founding meeting and at each AGM. In between, officers are subject to recall by a special meeting (see below).

The officers form the steering committee (SC), responsible for day to day running of Hafac. The SC is answerable to members meetings.

Affiliations

Hafac may affiliate to regional or national groups who share our aims. Where there are several, we will not support one over the others, but promote the formation of a single, united organization.

AGM & special meetings

At least once a year, Hafac will hold an AGM, which will elect officers and vote on resolutions & amendments submitted by members and affiliated groups.

Special meetings can be called by 1/3 of members/affiliated groups.

All members/affiliated groups must receive at least 30 days notice of AGMs and special meetings.

Amendments to constitution

Changes can be made to this constitution by majority vote of those present at an AGM or special meeting.

Adopted unanimously at Hafac founding meeting, 4 July 2011

Petition

This is our general anticuts/fees/privatization petition:

Leaflet to build for J30

Here's the leaflet we distributed to build support for the June 30 public sector pensions strike in Hinckley:

Who we are

To stop the cuts to public services, we need to get organised.

Locally, people are coming together. Hinckley Against Fees and Cuts – HAFAC – is part of that. Our aim is to unite all who oppose the cuts and want to do something about it.

With education, healthcare, jobs, pay and pensions all threatened, everyone has a stake in this fight to beat government austerity plans.

Local cuts to services like care homes, the fire service, libraries and schools – no matter which council or party tries them on – are also no-go.

In the coming weeks, HAFAC will build a local campaign. We will also link up with similar groups in Nuneaton and Leicester, as well as nationally.

Why not join us?

Contact us & find out more:

• Facebook group ~ HAFAC
• Email ~ hafac11@gmail.com
• Phone/Text ~ 07894 225537