BY PAMELA HOLMES AND JONATHAN SILBERMAN
LONDON - Students at the University of East London (UEL) have been occupying the administration building since the third week in May in protest against 2.4 million ($3.9 million) in cuts being carried out by the college authorities.

"The cuts will have very serious consequences," a student representative, who asked that her name not be used, said in an interview. "Altogether 80 jobs will go, including teaching, librarian and ancillary staff. Two of the five language teachers are being axed, as are the only mathematics and nursing teachers. Land surveying and economics courses will seriously suffer. According to the authorities, mathematics and land surveying show `no potential for growth.'

"Nine library staff are being made redundant. Both part- time doctors at the two college health centers will be laid off, leaving just one full-time nurse to deal with all our health needs. There are 10,000 students at the college. "In addition the students' union grant is being cut by 13,000."

According to university officials, the cuts are necessary due to government-imposed cash limits. Another factor cited is that due to the economic crisis in Asia, the authorities anticipate a decline in the enrollment next year from students from southeast Asia, a significant source of college income.

"The management treats the college as a business," explained another student representative, who also asked that her name not be used. "UEL is opening two major business centers financed by big business. The cuts are part of a policy of privatizing higher education, something else we're totally opposed to. Educational, not business, needs should determine the university's priorities."

The students started their action May 18 following an Emergency General Meeting of the students called by the Students Union. About 40 students stayed over that night in the George Brooker teaching building. Since then the action steadily grew: 200 occupied the building the next night and about 1,000 students demonstrated their support for the action in various ways two days later when the students extended their action to the administration building. About 100 students staged a noisy protest outside a meeting of the board of governors.

The students have received the support of the teaching staff. A meeting of the local teaching union, the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) on May 20 voted full support for the occupation, not to cross the students' picket lines, and to take steps to ensure that no students be penalized for taking the action. The students have established a special liaison committee with teaching staff to ensure that education continues.

The college authorities have served the students with a High Court injunction for their removal and police were called to remove student pickets. Meanwhile, the authorities have closed the library. In response to a similar shutdown of the campus creche (day-care center), the students have established their own child-care provision.

At a meeting of the occupying students on May 21 the students voted unanimously to inform other students, through a campaign of leaflets and posters, of their desire to maintain education and library facilities during the occupation, anticipating such a move from the authorities. Following the library closure the students made arrangements with a nearby university, Queen Mary and Westfield College, that East London students be permitted to use their libraries.

Mass meetings of students have been held three times a day to determine the conduct of the occupation. The students have gone out to win support for their action from the local community, who have access to some of the college facilities, including by leafleting a local carnival, and have sent delegations to win support from students at other colleges. They have made use of the multinational character of the student body to translate their flyers into different languages, faxing and e-mailing news of their action across Europe and beyond. They sent a message of support to the students in Indonesia.

Messages of support can be faxed to 44-181-597 6987.

Pamela Holmes is a member of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union. Jonathan Silberman is a member of the Transport and General Workers Union.  
 
 
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