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UCL to hold NUS Referendum

Dec 04 2003 22:58

Oliver Pell

UCL Union has become the latest to hold a referendum on whether to remain affiliated to the NUS.

Imperial College students opted overwhelmingly to remain outside the NUS in a referendum in 2002.

University College London Union is set to hold a referendum on whether to remain affiliated to the National Union of Students next week. UCL students will be able to vote on the question between the 8th and 12th of December. In order to be binding the referendum must secure a turnout of 10% of the student body (1834 students); otherwise the matter will go to a General Meeting to decide.

UCLU are required constitutionally to hold a referendum on affiliation to the NUS (and technically to ULU as well) every 3 years - although there hasn't been one in living memory. Frank Penter, UCL Union General Secretary and Referendum Returning Officer admitted that he had "no idea" when the last referendum had been held or what the turnout had been, though he thought there had been one around eleven years ago.

The 'no' campaign at UCL is being run by Alex Lal, one of UCL Union's sabbaticals. The 'yes' campaign is being run by Nigel Harris, one of the non-sabbatical part-time officers. Both campaigns have declined to comment on the referendum, although the ‘no’ campaign have asked ICU President Mustafa Arif to speak at a general meeting tomorrow.

While the 'yes' campaign is being headed by a non-sabbatical, Live! has heard rumours that the sabbatical helping that campaign, Alastair Boyle (Services & Events Officer), actually has anti-NUS views but has been required to help the 'yes' campaign for reasons of "balance". Mr Boyle declined to comment when asked for his opinion of the NUS.

Matters were further confused earlier this week by the resignation of Frank Penter as UCLU General Secretary. What precise state this leaves the referendum in is at present unclear.

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Discussion about “UCL to hold NUS Referendum”

The comments below are unmoderated submissions by Live! readers. The Editor accepts no liability for their content, nor for any offence caused by them. Any complaints should be directed to the Editor.

1. Sam

Dec 04 2003 23:35

Mmm... that plays into the hands of redefining the NUS.

NUS could soon mean Not Ucl Students

2. Rob Park

Dec 05 2003 05:55

The mere mention of the words "General Meeting" make me screem, along with the echos of "order", "can we have some courtesy, please" and "some decorum would be of benefit here, ladies & gentlemen".

sorry, just random rant about some rude individuals at QM who want to use block voting to get their petty political issues as union policy and then simply leave the meeting. No wonder I kept re-ordering the agenda without warning. Love to Susie at ULU for doing a NICE LONG presentation on ULU Transformation to keep the sods in their seets for a TWO AND A HALF HOUR Union General Meeting!

grrrrrrrrrrrrr

3. Ashley Brown

Dec 07 2003 13:30

This should be interesting - especially as more and more companies are waking up to the fact that not all students are members of the NUS.

Is there a definitive list of non-affiliated and recently disaffiliated institutions somwhere?

What about a list of recent new affiliations?

4. Nichola

Dec 09 2003 11:47

Well, the NUS aren't exactly going to mention who is not a member (I remember the careful wording of all the publicity they sent with UCAS letters, referring to a "vast majority" of Student Unions being members- I actually managed to sign up to their monthly newsletters with just a UCAS number, they didn't tink the issue of non-affiliated Unions was even worth checking).

But there could be such a list, if someone from a non-affiliated Union (anyone know of one of them?) were to compare the list on http://www.nusonline.co.uk/local/default.php against, say, that from the UCAS site (this would also limit the list to Universities and the like, not every College whose Union can affiliate/associate with the NUS).

Slightly long-winded, but straightforward enough. The slightly less simple question is how you would act upon such a list: it would depend on all of their reasons for leaving/ not joining, I suppose.

5. stef the ucl student

Dec 11 2003 09:21

I knew I was meant to do something before my exam yesterday. Must get some time later to go and vote NO

6. UCLU Councillor

Dec 16 2003 00:19

Just to say that charming union management can't be a**ed counting the votes until the end of the first week of NEXT term. Pathetic.

7. random

Dec 16 2003 13:49

That's OK I know of a student union which did a similar thing to those waiting for Sabbatical Election results. sic

8. Oliver Pell

Dec 17 2003 11:39

I am reliably informed that it's not so much the counting as the voting that has been extended into next term. The present referendum turn-out is below the required quorum.

9. UCLU Councillor

Dec 17 2003 17:13

Turnout was a little below 1500 (quorum=1800), so the issue will be decided at the AGM (turnout: approx 150).

Spoke to the returning officer, she said nothing about extending voting - I think you might be confusing it with the general meeting issue.

However... Not bothering to tell people really shows UCL Union's trust in its electorate. As I said, Pathetic.

10. Josh (ULU Exec)

Jan 08 2004 11:06

It's been suggested that UCLU could outsource the democracy part of their union to another one in order to improve the procedures.

Fair?

11. UCLU Councillor

Jan 10 2004 14:30

They'd be better off outsourcing the entire union to another one.

UCLU is the biggest heap of c**p in the universe. I'm only on council because I want to kick up a fuss (Which I have).

Incidentally, an emergency motion to set up a working party to look at reform of UCLU election procedures was stopped from being put to council by the General Secretary (who has now resigned), without passing it through Standing Orders Committee.

If a company or political party was run like UCLU, most of the sabbs would be in prison by now.

Closedd This discussion is closed.