Student Conference Usi Bureaucracy Faces Opposition

Congress called jor an immed- at USI takes a strong line On the issue of finance for education a concrete and detailed amendment from UCD whe itch called for a national campaign on concrete and specific issues and called for support of staff unions and the ICTU in campaigns to raise grants in line with inflation and the abolition of the means test was only narrowly defeated this year. Though the government's recent white paper deferred the question of finance for education to a white paper on education, all the signs point to cutbacks all round, the eventual doubling of fees and the introduction of a loan scheme ~ all of which would further endorse the trend that third level education is becoming more and more a privilege.

USI policy on education -"a right not a privilege ", judging by its recent congress, will continue to remain a rela~ tively meaningless demand However the congress in an emergency motion from UCD committed itself to jotning: with Dublin Council of Trade Unions in a march and lobby of the government on the question of taxation levels and against the removal of food subsidies, It also committed itself to continued liaison with the DCTU, ‘This is certainly a progression from previous years where joint marches were thrown out by congress, On the women's question UST delegates took definite steps forward this year. Amendments put forward to . weaken a comprehensive mote ton on contraception and rape were easily defeated, The congress rejected Haughey's Bill as repressive and called for USI to campaign actively towards free contraception on demand, for USI to affiliate to CAP, for USI to educate and inform its members on . contraception and to reject any . attempt to restrict availability of contraceptives on any basis, fate change in rape legislation and for government support for the rape crisis centre. Congress also supported the initiative taken by women in organising the rape march in Dublin last October, Finally the congress condemned the government for not taking steps to remove legislation which makes abortion a criminal offence.

Opposition Meets Bureaucratic Resistance, On the national question a comprehensive and detailed motion coming from UCD calling for a realistic campaign to end repression north and south and also a concrete campaign against special courts and calling for special category status and an end to the conditons in H Block was defeated and the main motion coming from the USI officers, — which portrayed a weak~ ening tn committment to those -oppressed in the North was accepted, This however does not depict the reality of the situation since delegates from UCG, QUB and NI Poly, were also in favour of the U, C.D. amendment.

This motion was defeated through reformists -‘instilling provo paranoia and by indulging in provo bashing ~~ — The ironical situation ts Anti-Nazi League PUBLIC MEETING Speaker:

Tuesday, February 2 ‘against repression in other countries eg S.Africa,Chile, Nicaragua etc. and this year confirmed support for the Palestinian Liberation Organiscation, support for the Iranian people.in their struggle against the Shah's regime, On the question of repression in Ireland, one cannot but question the conduct of USI leadership at congress, The deputy president John Gallagher called people from the ‘Student Campaign against Repression " scabs and a scar on the student body ", SCAR is open to all students, regardless of political viewpoints, who wish to work against repression - North and South, The Peace Jobs Progress Campaign run by USI was, during the Congress, pointed to as a campaign for every-~one but the unfortunate situatfon is that it offers no real campaign to anyone and therefore enjoys no real support, It was pointed out that as long pe \PIP continued to talk about "socfal reconstruction" without tackling the problem of repre-~ ssion ‘that it was meaningless and a "cop~out" on the part of the student body. mS SCAR its the obvious alternative; students can jdin in a real united front campaign agaInst repression on specific issues eg, H.Block, Special Courts etc, Paul. HOLBORROW (trom England)

7th at 8.00pm.

Q.U.B. Students' Union ~~

CONTRACEPTION