[AUT SC Two occupations at Essex high level…]

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AUT SC Two occupations at Essex high level of student opposOn Monday 7 March, a mass meeting of 800 students voted in favour of immediate indefinite occupation around the central demand that the University refuse to implement the increases.

Within 10 minutes of the vote being taken, the University's central administration area was occupied.

At first, the authorities responded in heavy-handed fashion by issuing exclusion orders to a number of students engaged in the accupation, but within hours these were rescinded.

Negotiations between those in occupation and the Vice-Chancellor followed shortly, but these resuited in purely verbal "assurances" that по student would have to quit colleges on account of the Increases.

PALTRY

This paltry concession fell far short of the occupation's demands, and was rejected out of hand by students, who pointed out that the assurances made no provision for students yet to begin courses at Essex.

Seeing that conciliation was failing, the University resorted to the now populat measure of eviction, and on March 16, 12 students were hauled before a Judge in Chambers to try and delay the granting of a possession order.

Needless to say, they failed and at 7.35am on Friday 18 March, bailiffs, ably supported by the Proctor and fifty police, smashed down doors and drove out those in occupation.

Students refused to be cowed by such actions, however, and a lunchtime meeting the same day voted overwhelmingly to re-occupy immediately the Vice-Chancellor's suite.

PHYSICAL RESISTANCE This time however the students met with physical resistance from members of the Association of University Teachers (AUT), a professional body which has only recently been allowed to join the TUC.

Kihu ANAG INV: off their academic gowns and pitched into students who were trying to secure the doors leading into the occupation.

This attack, spearheaded by a pro-Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of Students, both meant to look after "student welfare" , had all the signs of being a pre-arranged plan to prevent the occupation from taking place.

Having masqueraded for so long as being sympathetic with student grievances, the administration now stands in its true colours, and puts an end to the Broad Left myth that students can effect an alliance with "progressive" Vice-Chancellors against the increases.

This second occupation was eventually secured against the AUT but students decided to end it at 10 am on Monday morning in order to plan new tactics to be adopted next term.

That evening, a Union General Meeting endorsed • student tactics by passing an occupation amendment which proposed the election of a coordinating committee to plan direct action for next term.

There can be no doubting student willingness to fight the government's attack on education.

NOT DETERED Calls for disciplinary measures from the AUT and local newspapers have failed to deter students.

But Essex on its own, or even in alliance with a dozen other colleges, cannot secure national rejection of the fee increases.

The only path open to students is to fight within the NUS for a nationally co-ordinated strategy, including occupations, against the proposals.

This orientation, linked to a systematic campaign for organised working class support, will mean a sharp break with current NUS policies-but it is the only way in which the struggle against these cuts can be won.

20,000 students march against fee increases When over 200 militant dockers stormed Transport House last week Jack Jones put out the lie that the whole thing was set up by outside agitators.

This is not surprising. He could not admit to his friends in big business and the Tory Press the real significance of this protest.

For it reflected the growing hatred of Jones, his bureaucrats and their attack on dockers' wages and jobs.

DEMAND ACTION

The dockers, some of the 30,000 who defied Jones that day to stage a one-day strike, went to Transport House to demand union action in detence OI 1.t... The ...L.iah rIeSIOn GOCKS, wacn are threatened with shut-down.

A London and Southampton motion calling for an all-out national strike had received no reply from the leadership.

Feeling was extremely highthe ninth floor of Transport House was stormed and TGWU Docks Officer Cronin was forced to stay in the office until he agreed to get Jones to speak to the men.

When Jones eventually arrived it was clear that he intends to sell out the fight for jobs.

His first attempt to calm down the dockers was a farce.

He demanded an apology from those who had dressed up a bust of extreme right wing former Labour bureaucrat, Ernest Bevin in a cloth cap and muffler-in his words "an insult to Ernest Bevin"

A docker addressed an apology to the bust-"Sorry Ernest"-and then the • demands for action started to fly.

EVADED

Jones evaded every question: Asked by dockers from Preston whether he was • aware that 200 miles of rail track had already been torn up in the docks, he pleaded ignorance.

Likewise he claimed no knowledge of the fact that one major shipping company has already ceased using Preston.

He assured the men that jobs would be defended-if it could be shown that Preston docks were a 'viable' concern.

The matter would be on the Ports Council.

As one docker told Socialist Press:

"If you're only going to defend jobs if its profitable, we might as well close all the bleeding docks and say goodbye to our jobs now"

As for the promise that the matter will go to the Ports Council he held out few hopes:

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University within a fortnight have revealed once again the

ition to Shirley Williams' proposed tuition fee increases.

UDENT UN GAI LEGION

L UNI TSUNIO CONDON ACTION COORDINATING ENTEE EIGHT THE CUTS SPREADN

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