Spread the cuts fight!
Socialist Organiser1982 1982-02-04Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 15 →
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Bruce Robinson reports on the meeting of SO supporters in the TGWU last weekend.
kinds of powers only vaguely ON Monday the Manchester University students' fightback against the cuts entered a new phase. The Senate, successfully disrupted last week, tried to reconvene to approve the 16% cuts. The Senate-the main governing body of the University-is totally undemocratic with few students and manual campus workers represented on it.
This time the University authorities, faced by an angry mass picket of students, called in the police to defend this undemocratic meeting. The students attempted to picket the meeting and prevent the body from approving the cuts but were faced with unprovoked police brutality. The violent police tactics resulted in many injuries but fortunately only one arrest.
A Manchester University Students Union Executive member told Socialist Organiser: "Today's events have clearly shown that the police see breaking picket lines as one of their major roles. It should be clear to students that the role of the police is not a neutral one. They will always side with the ruling class whether it is Arthur Snipe (boss of Laurence Scotts) or the University hierarchy "
The University's meeting went ahead and as expected they approved 16% cuts. The students' reaction was to immediately go into occupation of the main administration building.
Early Tuesday morning the students occupied the telephone exchange at the University which will considerably increase disruption.
However, action against the cuts must be national action. Other students must follow the lead set by Manchester. Occupations and disruption must occur on every campus across the country.