Students' Union 'strike' referendum

1968

Breezer wrote: »

Some of those actions were a bit questionable too IMO...

What message exactly? That we are willing to jeopardise the education we say we can't do without and need to have provided for us? I mean if a group of workers goes on strike, the resulting chaos highlights the fact that they are providing an essential service. If a group of students goes on 'strike,' well... what exactly happens, other than us inconveniencing ourselves?

The Yes manifesto mentioned this; can you provide any specific examples as to when such a tactic was used, in what circumstances and to what effect?

1) I agree. Petitions, letter writing and lake side rallies rarely achieves anything.

2 & 3) A 24 student walkout followed by either mass protests on campus and/or city centre would really rattle the government. I have to add that the USI have come out in favour of the idea of a National 24 Third Level Shutdown. The referendum in UCD is designed to help give USI a mandate to go for it. Student walkouts, strikes and college universities have long been used a tactic. Some recent examples:

2005 - Dutch secondary school students held a number of 24 hour student strikes and won concessions on planned education reforms.

2006 - French students striked in 68 out of 89 universities against
government's proposed French Contrat Première Embauche (Contract of First Employment) law, which would have permitted large employers to sack 18-26 year-old workers without notice, and without explanation. The government backed down.

Chilean students striked to remove the university admissions test (PSU) fee amongst other things. The government met most of the demands.

2007 - Israeli college students held over a month long strike against the proposed increase of tutition fees which saw the government back down.

Breezer

If I remember correctly, at least the French one had massive public support in that the Contrat Première Embauche was hugely unpopular. I can't see the same level of support being given in Ireland, partly because compared to the French we're hopeless at protesting and partly because everyone has their own problems right now, and they see another group getting hit with something as one less thing they'll get hit with. I honestly believe this strike will weaken any semblance of public support students currently enjoy.

passive

1968 wrote: »

1) I agree. Petitions, letter writing and lake side rallies rarely achieves anything.

2006 - French students striked in 68 out of 89 universities against
government's proposed French Contrat Première Embauche (Contract of First Employment) law, which would have permitted large employers to sack 18-26 year-old workers without notice, and without explanation. The government backed down.
.

They strike every f*cking year though. I lost 6 weeks of class to it last year, and they lost in the end. Just 'cos it worked one time, doesn't mean it's going to work here. And their universities are a mess.

1968

Breezer wrote: »

I can't see the same level of support being given in Ireland...

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/almost--60pc-say-college-fees-are-bad-idea-1658202.html

Only 21% of the public support the reintroduction of student fees.

[That's from a Irish Independent/Millward Brown IMS poll.]

spudington16

Is it too late for a group to submit to act as official agents for the no side and put out material to that effect? The SU emailed all students yesterday about the issue and it was the first I'd heard of the referendum.

passive

spudington16 wrote: »

Is it too late for a group to submit to act as official agents for the no side and put out material to that effect? The SU emailed all students yesterday about the issue and it was the first I'd heard of the referendum.

Probably not too late to get a couple of posters up, if you have the time.

Tayto2000

1968 wrote: »

Only 21% of the public support the reintroduction of student fees.

Big surprise, people who would be asked to pay fees aren't in favour of them! That's why abolishing them was such a winner with the public in 1996... I don't think the public was too keen on bin taxes either and they still got brought in. There's a parallel with the abolition of rates in the 70s there too.

So as Breezer pointed out, I have yet to hear a credible suggestion from FEE or indeed the USI as to what should be done about the hole in 3rd level funding. Taking a no to fees position is fine, but I still haven't heard anything beyond that stance... What is being brought to the table?

A strong message will be sent by a one day strike - what is this message? Nobody has yet been able to articulate what message will be sent by a day of students 'striking'. Personally, I don't think Irish students taking a day off is going to have much effect beyond reinforcing the national sterotype that NUIG (un)helpfully reminded everyone of last week.

panda100

Breezer wrote: »

As for it not affecting lectures and tutorials, I'm sorry, but it will affect me. 90% of my lectures are given by hospital consultants and other guests who are not in the employ of UCD and have to fit the lecture in around their already busy schedules. My tutorials take place off-campus, in about 6 different hospitals, where not only do hospital staff have to be available, but also patients who have kindly agreed to meet with us and allow us to interview or examine them. We also have an extremely tight class schedule due to the fact that this part of the course finishes in 3 weeks, and any student who's had to reschedule even one tutorial so far this semester has found it extremely difficult to do so. I realise this doesn't apply to 99% of students but it affects a lot of Health Science students..

A one day shut down of UCD will have absolutely no effect on your medical studies.
What will is the onslaught of cutbacks medicine students will be facing in the coming months and years.

I heared last week that UCD students now have to find there own surgical and medical roation's in final year? Good luck with that, as (public) hospital teams across the country become more and more burdened and stifled with a lack of resources.

Last week 99% of IMO members balloted in favour of strike action. Medical students must stand with all NCHD's in their strike action. The attacks on their working conditions and training conditions will have an absolutely detremential effect on the education of medical students.

The IMO strike will more than likely coincide with the ICTU national day of action planned for 30th March. As the Yes referendum material states ' The referendum commits the union to work with the staff and their unions to organise this shutdown in conjunction with the staff. A meeting of siptu members in UCD agreed to call for a one day strike,we should work to comnine these actions.If we succeed in having united action,then there wont be a class to miss'.

Medical students instead of bleating pathetic excuses like 'we (the Irish) are hopeless at protesting' should resoundly say yes to this referendum. A shutdown of UCD will demonstrate the enormous power of students, that we can have a say and will have a say in our future.

Many UCD students on boards seem to be in denial about how serious this recession is. This economic crisis will not be over in a year or two,estimates are that it will be at least a decade until we see even a slight bit of economic growth.
So we may be students now, but wether you leave UCD this year or in three years your chances of finding a job will be nil to none.
If we follow breezers suggestion of a graduate tax or full fee's as touted by others on here, this means that innovative, young, well educated people who can give so much to society will be staring into a bleak future of crippling students debts and the dole queue.

If UCD students commit to a 24 hour shutdown of UCD, then education would become a key issue for the goverment with other schools and colleges following suit.

Tom65

Breezer wrote: »

Some of those actions were a bit questionable too IMO...

What message exactly? That we are willing to jeopardise the education we say we can't do without and need to have provided for us? I mean if a group of workers goes on strike, the resulting chaos highlights the fact that they are providing an essential service. If a group of students goes on 'strike,' well... what exactly happens, other than us inconveniencing ourselves?

The Yes manifesto mentioned this; can you provide any specific examples as to when such a tactic was used, in what circumstances and to what effect?[/QUOTE

+1

People who are calling for a strike miss the point. Strikes work for workers because it denies the country a service. That's what makes the transport workers strong. If university students strike, it's saying we value our free education enough to take a day off. It makes absolutely no sense. It won't be have the government trembling.

1968 wrote: »

1)
2006 - French students striked in 68 out of 89 universities against
government's proposed French Contrat Première Embauche (Contract of First Employment) law, which would have permitted large employers to sack 18-26 year-old workers without notice, and without explanation. The government backed down.

This wasn't solely an educational issue though. The unions were very much involved as it affected the worker's rights.


Even civil disobedience would make more sense than striking. As long as the government isn't consulting with students or the USI, there's a argument to be made for forcing a debate.

mad lad

Tayto2000 wrote: »

So as Breezer pointed out, I have yet to hear a credible suggestion from FEE or indeed the USI as to what should be done about the hole in 3rd level funding. Taking a no to fees position is fine, but I still haven't heard anything beyond that stance... What is being brought to the table?

A publicly funded education system with tuition fees paid for through a progressive tax system. Combine this with programs aimed at adressing the barriers to education at earlier levels (like school rentention initatives, proper language support services, an adequately funded National Educational Welfare Board to reduce truancy, the back to education allowance, childcare grants for VTOs, a decent grant system etc).

The only 2 countries in the OECD that have substantially increased the ratio of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds entering tertiary education are Sweden and the Netherlands - they've done it through taxation. It's empirical, look for any of Clancys stuff in the library on access to education.

If you can provide examples of countries in which the introduction of tuition fees has helped to increase equality of access, I'm all ears.

simonrooneyzaga

panda100 wrote: »

A one day shut down of UCD will have absolutely no effect on your medical studies.
What will is the onslaught of cutbacks medicine students will be facing in the coming months and years.

I heared last week that UCD students now have to find there own surgical and medical roation's in final year? Good luck with that, as (public) hospital teams across the country become more and more burdened and stifled with a lack of resources.

Last week 99% of IMO members balloted in favour of strike action. Medical students must stand with all NCHD's in their strike action. The attacks on their working conditions and training conditions will have an absolutely detremential effect on the education of medical students.

The IMO strike will more than likely coincide with the ICTU national day of action planned for 30th March. As the Yes referendum material states ' The referendum commits the union to work with the staff and their unions to organise this shutdown in conjunction with the staff. A meeting of siptu members in UCD agreed to call for a one day strike,we should work to comnine these actions.If we succeed in having united action,then there wont be a class to miss'.

Medical students instead of bleating pathetic excuses like 'we (the Irish) are hopeless at protesting' should resoundly say yes to this referendum. A shutdown of UCD will demonstrate the enormous power of students, that we can have a say and will have a say in our future.

Many UCD students on boards seem to be in denial about how serious this recession is. This economic crisis will not be over in a year or two,estimates are that it will be at least a decade until we see even a slight bit of economic growth.
So we may be students now, but wether you leave UCD this year or in three years your chances of finding a job will be nil to none.
If we follow breezers suggestion of a graduate tax or full fee's as touted by others on here, this means that innovative, young, well educated people who can give so much to society will be staring into a bleak future of crippling students debts and the dole queue.

If UCD students commit to a 24 hour shutdown of UCD, then education would become a key issue for the goverment with other schools and colleges following suit.

god that must have taken ages to write... Pity nobodies going to read it as its full of sh1te.

delta_bravo

panda100 wrote: »

If we succeed in having united action,then there wont be a class to miss'.

That makes no sense, thats not a strike at all then for students. It would be like getting fired from a job and telling your old boss youre not coming in tomorrow in protest.

El Siglo

panda100 wrote: »

A one day shut down of UCD will have absolutely no effect on your medical studies.
What will is the onslaught of cutbacks medicine students will be facing in the coming months and years.

I heared last week that UCD students now have to find there own surgical and medical roation's in final year? Good luck with that, as (public) hospital teams across the country become more and more burdened and stifled with a lack of resources.

Last week 99% of IMO members balloted in favour of strike action. Medical students must stand with all NCHD's in their strike action. The attacks on their working conditions and training conditions will have an absolutely detremential effect on the education of medical students.

The IMO strike will more than likely coincide with the ICTU national day of action planned for 30th March. As the Yes referendum material states ' The referendum commits the union to work with the staff and their unions to organise this shutdown in conjunction with the staff. A meeting of siptu members in UCD agreed to call for a one day strike,we should work to comnine these actions.If we succeed in having united action,then there wont be a class to miss'.

Medical students instead of bleating pathetic excuses like 'we (the Irish) are hopeless at protesting' should resoundly say yes to this referendum. A shutdown of UCD will demonstrate the enormous power of students, that we can have a say and will have a say in our future.

Many UCD students on boards seem to be in denial about how serious this recession is. This economic crisis will not be over in a year or two,estimates are that it will be at least a decade until we see even a slight bit of economic growth.
So we may be students now, but wether you leave UCD this year or in three years your chances of finding a job will be nil to none.
If we follow breezers suggestion of a graduate tax or full fee's as touted by others on here, this means that innovative, young, well educated people who can give so much to society will be staring into a bleak future of crippling students debts and the dole queue.

If UCD students commit to a 24 hour shutdown of UCD, then education would become a key issue for the goverment with other schools and colleges following suit.

I'm just after reading that and I must say that it's a big pile of sh*te!

The strike, like the protests will do nothing. I guarantee that!
Very simple logic:
Student's are recipients of services,
ergo students (current undergraduates) do not provide a service (yet),
student's don't contribute to the tax base as yet,
therefore, we've no chips to play, the country will still run as usual, and instead of the usual wasters pissing about in the student bar, it'll be 30-40% of the college.
The best course of action is simply lobbying the opposition especially labour considering their popularity.
Try an hold out till the next general election, long time unless there is a vote of no confidence in the government (kind of like what happened in the 80s), so this could be sooner than you think.
If the fees come back, boycott them i.e. this is where you might see the militant types coming out.
Striking now won't have the desired effect.
I was thinking though, for university students, they haven't really produced any groundbreaking ways of 'fighting fees', it's much of the same stuff that was done before, maybe no FEE people but it's nothing spectacular, just an observation.

Tayto2000

mad lad wrote: »

A publicly funded education system with tuition fees paid for through a progressive tax system. Combine this with programs aimed at adressing the barriers to education at earlier levels (like school rentention initatives, proper language support services, an adequately funded National Educational Welfare Board to reduce truancy, the back to education allowance, childcare grants for VTOs, a decent grant system etc).

Most of this is irrelevant to the discussion at hand, we are talking about third level tuition here, not Primary and Secondary. I hesitate to use the word in this setting since it gets thrown around so much, but I think that access to free primary and secondary education should be a right. Since there is now a huge hole in the public funds (Which were effectively getting cut every year anyway due to forced increase in student intake without any funding increase), how will taxation cover University funding? There's a reason Brady et al have been driving Universities in more of a commercial money making direction - funding is inadequate. This is highly unlikely to improve anytime soon for obvious reasons.

mad lad wrote: »

The only 2 countries in the OECD that have substantially increased the ratio of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds entering tertiary education are Sweden and the Netherlands - they've done it through taxation. It's empirical, look for any of Clancys stuff in the library on access to education.

I assume you mean Patrick Clancy? I'm not a sociologist and I'm not familiar with the education system in either country, I'll obviously have to do some reading... but I suspect that there's more to that story than 'They don't pay fees'. Perhaps they have proper core 3rd level funding?

mad lad wrote: »

If you can provide examples of countries in which the introduction of tuition fees has helped to increase equality of access, I'm all ears.

Oh, I'm sure that fees don't help to increase equality of access. But free fees hasn't helped either - what's your explanation for the failure of government subsidised fees to increase equality of access here? We've had 12 years of taxpayers subsidising students, why are the majority of students from the same economic background and feeder schools? Numbers are up, but equality of access doesn't come from fees or the lack of them, it has to come from a different direction. Things you mentioned - back to education allowance, childcare grants for VTOs, a decent grant system are good examples which are unconnected to the fees argument.


Panda, 1968 etc - maybe it might be more sensible to call the proposed action a boycott rather than a strike? There's no withdrawal of services, you are disdaining a provided service in protest. But I still haven't heard what the message that will be sent is... If you can't articulate it yourself, why do expect the government to listen?

Dave!

tbh this will just strengthen the belief that students take their education for granted and use any excuse to avoid going to lectures.

If I were bothered I would vote NO.

Notorious

Isn't there talk of both students and lecturers striking on the same day? So in effect wouldn't they both render each other useless? Lecturers strike and refuse to teach, students strike and refuse to learn. If anything, this would just lessen the impact of the lecturers strike since the students won't be there to learn anyway, no?

Breezer

panda100 wrote: »

A one day shut down of UCD will have absolutely no effect on your medical studies.

Ultimately no, but it will inconvenience me in the short term, and I don't see why I should vote for something that will both inconvenience me and have the detrimental effects I've already outlined regarding the message students are sending.

What will is the onslaught of cutbacks medicine students will be facing in the coming months and years.

...

Last week 99% of IMO members balloted in favour of strike action. Medical students must stand with all NCHD's in their strike action. The attacks on their working conditions and training conditions will have an absolutely detremential effect on the education of medical students.

That's not the issue being discussed here.

pathetic excuses like 'we (the Irish) are hopeless at protesting'

That's not an excuse, pathetic or otherwise. It's a statement of fact. We don't pull together behind protesting groups the way the French, for example, do, and I honestly believe a 'strike' will do more harm than good. We should continue, as I have stated, to explore other options in order to make our feelings known.

A shutdown of UCD will demonstrate the enormous power of students, that we can have a say and will have a say in our future.

Again I ask "what power?" If the bus drivers go on strike, the city/country grinds to a standstill. That's power. If students don't go to class, everyone else goes about their business as usual.

Many UCD students on boards seem to be in denial about how serious this recession is.

Quite the opposite. I'm fully aware of how bad it is, and that the government needs to pull in revenue wherever it can. I've already stated on other threads that I believe 3rd level education should be free, and therefore I don't want a ridiculous stunt like this destroying the credibility of the anti-fees campaign, thereby handing the government our education on a plate.

If we follow breezers suggestion of a graduate tax or full fee's as touted by others on here, this means that innovative, young, well educated people who can give so much to society will be staring into a bleak future of crippling students debts and the dole queue.

Panda, please explain your logic here. While I agree with you that full fees will disenfranchise the less well off, I fail to see how paying a proportion of your income in tax, an income that will still be higher than a non-graduate's, for a set period of time, equates to "a bleak future of crippling students debts and the dole queue."

Let me be absolutely clear on this: I do not support blanket fees. I would, faced with the evidence that free fees is no longer sustainable, support a 'graduate tax', if it were to be accompanied by reform of the 3rd level sector, a reform that would benefit students. I see it as a medium to long term measure. If it is brought in now, and it persuades the government to remove blanket fees from the agenda, then as far as I'm concerned that's a victory for everyone.

What I don't support is a stunt that I believe will annoy large numbers of people and put the government off listening to students altogether.

conor2007

whoever came up with or goes along with the student strike idea

does not deserve to continue studying
im sorry
but whatever they have gotten so far obviously hasnt worked in enhancing their

logic

---

in response to the ''show the power of the students'' comment
how? if its a strike from work - yes - it hurts business

in college - you show up and do the work or you don't
a strike will proove nothing - and is embarassing it was even contemplated

?

First, it is the governments responsiblity to provide solutions to the problems facing this country, Cowan get five grand a week for this responsibility he should actually earn it!! For those of you wondering about tax revenue I'll remind you that this govenrment is notorious for getting poor value for money, look at the 180million cost plus contracts secured by the CFI before the last budget and unless you are Paidi O'Shea kissing FF ass in an interview to the Sunday Indo much of the tax revenue from proerty went on some thing called Section 23 http://www.constructireland.ie/articles/0209block.php.

Second here is, again, the link to the referendum manifesto http://www.ucdsu.ie/websitedocs/manifestoes/referendumyes.jpg. Note how it says that the "referendum commits the Union to work with the staff and their unions to organise this shutdown". So they'll be no need to bring in daddy's golf club to violently enter lecturs of dubious value.

Why a shutdown? Well the simple fact of the matter is that FF has accepted theiy'll lose a load of County Council seats that they don't care about and the only march they have reacted to is the pensioner's one. If we show we're willing to join our educators on a shutdown then it shows we're serious enough to get registered and vote.

This 'strike' isn't about depriving ourselves of education, it is about standing in solidarity with those who wish to educate us!

Shorty

Notorious wrote: »

Isn't there talk of both students and lecturers striking on the same day? So in effect wouldn't they both render each other useless? Lecturers strike and refuse to teach, students strike and refuse to learn. If anything, this would just lessen the impact of the lecturers strike since the students won't be there to learn anyway, no?

Wait, how does that work? The teaching staff and education workers are coming out in strike, the students are having a one day "shut down" both in conjunction with and in support of this action, as explicitly stated. Surely by coming out this shows a level of support and also a boost in confidence to the the staff as well as highlighting a common thread between the introduction of fees and the cutbacks the education workers are facing. Perhaps even that there is a mutual benefit and interest in this shared support, some people choose to call this "solidarity".

Most of the 'arguments' on this thread (the majority of them being merely cynical statements of opinion rather than arguments) regarding protest don't actually show the ineffectiveness of protest and direct action but merely that there is a lack of a tradition, history or culture of this in Ireland, and for most students and people under the age of 30, this is true with no experience or conception of it, together with the very particular form of politics in Ireland owing to the particular history of the state. Thankfully culture isn't static but dynamic, fluid and constantly changing through human agency. There are and have been numerous examples used in this thread of protest in general and student protests in particular, covering a wide range of activity, that have actually been successful, however this is up against this very lack of culture, tradition and history as well as the level of Irish insularity where even events in Europe seem alien and strange providing no evidence or argumentative proof of success. In many ways this is ingrained and attitudinal and I'm not sure where to even begin in arguing. The fact that the (potential) national strike on March 30th is a first of sorts in the history of the state rather than the relatively common occurence it is in most other European countries speaks volumes. If and when it happens and hopefully in conjunction with the support of students and parents, we'll see where the argument goes from there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgHobOo9v4Y

PrivateEye

When even the USbloodyI are occupying buildings you know things are serious :rolleyes:
The one day shutdown is a vital step at this stage. I think the Yes vote will carry the day.

If UCD students commit to a 24 hour shutdown of UCD, then education would become a key issue for the goverment with other schools and colleges following suit.

Exactly. Other students around the country will likely vote on a very similar referendum (Cork for example) in the coming weeks, this is the way forward. The marches have failed. The issue could well come before the Dail by the end of April. To have a college like UCD take such definitive action against the reintroduction of fees will be embarrasing for the government in the short-term, and may well affect any planned reintroductions in the long-term.

Tick the right box

Bubs101

Please tell me this needs a percentage of people to vote to go through? Hopefully apathy will stop this nonsense

delta_bravo

PrivateEye wrote: »

To have a college like UCD take such definitive action against the reintroduction of fees will be embarrasing for the government in the short-term, and may well affect any planned reintroductions in the long-term.

Why UCD in particular?

PrivateEye wrote: »

Tick the right box

I will, I'll be ticking NO

dajaffa

I have a feeling yes will win because people don't really know what its about and except when the word abortion is in the wording, the yes vote always starts off with an advantage. Like I voted no, but almost ticked yes as if on auto-pilot before I realised.

My main reason for voting no is that I don't think it would further the campaign as I think students just wouldn't come in, as against coming in but not going to class and protesting instead making it a bit of a non-event. Some sort of event to being campuses nationwide to standstill for an hour would be a better way to go, or something along those lines.

Breezer

Shorty wrote: »

Most of the 'arguments' on this thread (the majority of them being merely cynical statements of opinion

I prefaced much of what I said with "I believe" etc. Yes, it's opinion, I've made no secret of that, but it's opinion based on logic. I prefer the word 'realistic' to 'cynical' but I guess we'll agree to disagree on that one.

PrivateEye wrote: »

To have a college like UCD take such definitive action against the reintroduction of fees will be embarrasing for the government in the short-term

If the government was going to get embarrassed, I think the massive job losses, the banking scandals, the Financial Times labelling us a "banana republic," the admission by the Minister for Finance that he didn't read a critical report that resulted in us buying a bank that was engaged in fraudulent activity, the 10% satisfaction rating and the fact that Europe is taking us to court over the amount of borrowing we're doing might have embarrassed it already. Fianna Fáil doesn't really do embarrassment.

mloc

I've said it in another thread, but this proposed "protest" must be some of the most infantile, opportunistic, misguided and pathetic attention seeking behaviour ever seen in UCD.

All it does is give those who have been providing this constant "anti-fees" white noise prattle a day off to tarnish the image of students by more embarassing slogan chanting and still no suggestion of realistic alternatives. And rumour has it is to be set on the same day as the UCD Ball? Such absurd and blatant wasting of resources is truly embarrassing to those students who want to continue what they are in college to do: study.

Notorious

Shorty wrote: »

Wait, how does that work? ... some people choose to call this "solidarity".

But are the students planning a march? One of the SU candidates was telling me about how I should vote yes since I'd get a day off college. He never mentioned the students were marching or picketing. Not that some mickey mouse student protest would achieve anything other than ten seconds airtime on the six one news. "Reports are just in that the student body of Ireland are protesting... yet again."

Barname

Red Alert wrote: »

I think the way to protest would not be to take a day off, but have a mass demonstration in town on a Saturday and bring the city centre to a standstill.

Shorty

mloc wrote: »

I've said it in another thread, but this proposed "protest" must be some of the most infantile, opportunistic, misguided and pathetic attention seeking behaviour ever seen in UCD.

As opposed to those non opportunistic protests that aren't related to peoples needs and the current situation they find themselves in, the opportunity to either defend themselves from attack or even improve their lives in someway? Also, it wouldn't be much of a protest if it didn't seek to gain attention. But hey, keep throwing out those negative value judgements, I'm sure you'll find some words that stick.

mloc wrote: »

All it does is give those who have been providing this constant "anti-fees" white noise prattle a day off to tarnish the image of students by more embarassing slogan chanting and still no suggestion of realistic alternatives. And rumour has it is to be set on the same day as the UCD Ball? Such absurd and blatant wasting of resources is truly embarrassing to those students who want to continue what they are in college to do: study.

Have you even read what's been posted so far? Realistic alternatives have been proferred and the date is set, the one called for in the wording of the referendum, is the one that strives to work in conjunction with the educational staff's own balloted day of action which should be March 30th. The main argument people have been making with regards peoples concerns of missing class, lectures, tutorials, etc.
Also, what waste of resources? Photocopied paper?

Shorty

Notorious wrote: »

But are the students planning a march? One of the SU candidates was telling me about how I should vote yes since I'd get a day off college. He never mentioned the students were marching or picketing. Not that some mickey mouse student protest would achieve anything other than ten seconds airtime on the six one news. "Reports are just in that the student body of Ireland are protesting... yet again."

As far as I've heard there's no march, if it goes ahead it'll be just some discussions, meetings, film screenings and some other activities on campus and hopefully with some of the teaching staff and lecturers in attendance or even with some of their own activities. Good to break down some of the divide between students and lecturers, maybe even make some links. Which seems good to me considering about 2 lecturers even know my name and that's with full attendance to all my classes/lectures. I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunity for people to air their views in discussion and take part in debate if they're at all interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=IE&hl=en-GB&v=dGCJ46vyR9o&NR=1