By Kathy Newnam
ADELAIDE — In the face of voluntary student unionism (VSU) legislation, there is an urgent need for a mass campaign by students. The South Australian branch of NUS is setting forth a plan which would limit the involvement of students in the campaign.
It wants to begin the semester by running an information campaign to tell students "what you get for your money", or the services that student unions provide to students.
After three weeks, NUS then plans to explain to students that these services are endangered by the introduction of VSU. By refusing to convince students politically to fight VSU as an attack on their right to organise, NUS shows contempt for the level of political understanding on campus.
The anti-VSU campaign will be coordinated by NUS. Student will be able to participate in a "VSU forum", an advisory body that will have no decision-making power. This is undemocratic. The campaign will need to be open and inclusive to encourage students to participate. Resistance student activist Jo Ellis commented, "NUS was elected to lead and organise students, not to dictate the entire direction of campaigns".
NUS SA also plans to establish a cross-campus network to address cuts to education. This demonstrates a fundamental flaw in its strategy. The government is introducing VSU as a way of stopping students organising against attacks on education and other social issues. The campaign against VSU will be strengthened when linked to the education campaign, not separated from it.