Student Labour: Demo and protests in Slovenia

Several thousand Slovenian students took the streets of Ljubljana and voiced their opposition to the “little labour” act. After several rounds of talks, the heads of the student organization ŠOU and Prime Minister Borut Pahor did not come to any acceptable solution regarding a legislative proposal that both limits students’ ability to work during their studies and places a maximum wage on their earnings.

Approximately 8,000 university and high school students from all over the country gathered on the morning of Wednesday, 19th May in the centre of Ljubljana to protest a new bill that would limit students’ work and thus their income during their studies.

While students are ones most loudly protesting the bill, the proposed change in the law applies not only to them, but also to pensioners, the unemployed and other “inactive” people. The measure is a part of a wider campaign, implemented by the government, in order to make the country more competitive.

What worries the students most is the fact that the so-called little labour act foresees the limitation of student work to 720 hours and EUR 6,000 per year. Students are naturally upset, explaining that many hold down jobs during their studies to pay their living costs in the face of dwindling scholarships. According to their leader, Katja Šoba, they have every right to earn their money, as it is often the only way to pay their studies and any kind of limitation would further worsen their financial situation. As she described, the politicians, while young, “... had sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. We’ll have ‘little labour’ and loans to pay.”

Continuar a ler o artigo...Loss of Control

The student protest, peaceful at first, later turned into a riot, when some of the students, who had gathered initially at Prešeren Square, then marched to the Slovenian Parliament. Despite the presence of hundreds of police officers in riot gear, some protestors began to throw eggs, granite blocks, signposts, even a molotov cocktail at the building, breaking some windows and forcing the parliament to suspend its session. The assembly suffered severe damage, estimated at EUR 27,000. To restrain the angry crowd, the police used pepper spray and arrested 31 rioters, 15 of whom were minors, many under the influence of alcohol.

Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Ivan Svetlik labelled the violent protest a sad and regrettable event and added that the student organisation would have to accept full responsibility for what happened. In contrast, the organizers distanced themselves from any association with the violence by condemning it. As Šoba explained, she called on the group in front of the parliament to leave when the protest was over, but they were very angry and “difficult to control.”

“A Hotbed” of Irregularities

Why is student labour such a contentious issue? Perhaps the answer lies within the following facts: student jobs in Slovenia are the least taxed of all types of labour, students do not have to contribute to the public pension fund, nor do the employers have to pay for students’ social and health services. Since student workers are much cheaper than fulltime employees, many employers prefer hiring students or even demand to pay to somebody else’s student referrals. At the same time, there is very little paper work to do: everything that a student needs is a so-called student referral (i.e. a proof of student’s status) and he or she can start working immediately.

Since is almost impossible for young graduates to find a job directly after the completion of their studies, many decide to prolong their study and thus continue working via referrals. No wonder that Slovenia is facing a clear trend of prolongation of education: on average, studies last seven years – the second longest in Europe, after Poland. Since student labour is so appealing, many young people enrol in university not to study but to get proof of their student status and therefore be able to enter the student labour market.

The mediators between students and employers are the student employment services. There are approximately 80 such agencies across the country, which are financed from student labour. However, many believe that these agencies are totally unnecessary and that they live off the sweat of the students. According to the most recent data available, more than one million student referrals were issued in 2008 and the students performed 84 million hours of labour. The average annual income per student amounted to EUR 2,700, while gross disbursements came to EUR 340m. From this amount, some EUR 15m went to student organisations while another EUR 15m was divided between student employment services. Despite part of the student job taxation being channelled directly to student organisations (which do in fact support students with many benefits) some individuals have found a way to take advantage of the situation to become incredibly wealthy, the so-called “student barons”.

Every Third Must Work

Although students agree that the student labour market should be better regulated, at the same they time warn the government that every third student must work in order to live. In Slovenia only a quarter of all students receive some kind of scholarship in the average monthly amount of EUR 180, but according to their calculations an average student needs at least EUR 400 monthly for his/her needs. Some students receive state-issued scholarships, allocated on the basis of their financial situation and social status. Organisations and employers also give out scholarships, mostly to sponsor prospective students in their field of work.

Since most Slovenian students do not receive any scholarship, they must finance their years at university with part-time work. Therefore, apart from their everyday student obligations, many work in restaurants, bars and shops. The students do not work for a little extra spending money, the student organization explains, but because they are forced to and they would not do so if they had scholarships. In their eyes, student work is a form of a social corrective for under-privileged students and before the state implements the changes of student work, it will have to change its inadequate and insufficient scholarship policy first.

Minister of Labour Svetlik is convinced that the new Act regulates a number of students’ rights. An individual, for example, who would perform student work would be included in pension and health insurance programs. Moreover, working part time would be included in the working period. He also promised that the government would increase the number of scholarships, while part of the money from student work would be earmarked for the construction of student hostels and different student projects. Students should focus on studies, pointed out Svetlik, while the state should provide education to everyone, he added.
As the protests were organized and advertised using a large budget, one question remains: is it really the students who fear changes, or would the new act only cut the profits of those who take advantage of student jobs – the employers and the student services?

Napoli (Italia): occupata Università Orientale in solidarietà con gli attivisti della Freedom flotilla

Oggi, 1 giugno 2010, abbiamo occupato l'Università Orientale di Napoli per protestare contro il barbaro assalto di Israele al convoglio umanitario Freedom Flotilla. Un'operazione avvenuta in acque internazionali, contro pacifisti disarmati, che ha fatto almeno 9 morti e decine di feriti gravi, e su cui ancora non si sa nulla, visto che Israele non lascia trapelare informazioni, per manipolare i media e l'opinione pubblica internazionale.

Abbiamo occupato l'università perché di fronte all'ennesimo massacro sionista non si può fare finta di nulla, perché oggi è una giornata di lutto e di rabbia. L'abbiamo occupata perché vogliamo ricordare che da 60 anni Israele imprigiona, tortura, nega i diritti essenziali a milioni di palestinesi, trattandoli con disprezzo razzista, e ormai non si fa scrupoli a uccidere chiunque, anche “occidentale”, osi opporsi. Un'escalation che, dopo l'operazione “Piombo Fuso” del gennaio 2009 che fece 1500 vittime, non sembra avere limiti... A

bbiamo occupato l'Università per dare un segnale forte, contro la nostra classe politica che ancora una volta si rivela il più fedele alleato di Israele in Europa: con il governo che riprende le dichiarazioni dei fascisti israeliani e parla di “provocazione dei pacifisti”(!) e l'opposizione come al solito inerte e complice. Una classe politica che non rispecchia per nulla i sentimenti della popolazione, spontaneamente scesa in piazza ieri in venti città diverse per gridare il proprio sdegno, e la propria preoccupazione per i quattro italiani illegittimamente detenuti dallo stato sionista. Come ci ricorda proprio uno storico ebreo, Ilan Pappe, quello che si sta consumando in Palestina è un vero e proprio genocidio. E davanti a un genocidio non dobbiamo restare a guardare, o perderci in sottili distinguo: come nel caso del Sudafrica, la fine dell'apartheid dipende anche da noi.

Facciamo appello a tutti i compagni, agli studenti, alla comunità palestinese, a chiunque senta un fremito di sdegno davanti a quest'ennesimo massacro a continuare la mobilitazione. Occupiamo le università e le strade, raccontiamo ovunque la verità e la sofferenza del popolo palestinese, intensifichiamo la campagna di boicottaggio, disinvestimenti e sanzioni, facciamoci sentire!

L'Università che abbiamo occupato è aperta a chiunque abbia a cuore la causa palestinese, per discutere ed organizzare insieme le iniziative dei prossimi giorni...

Student fined by University over dating website

A student was fined by his University and told his degree could be forfeit after he created a website enabling his peers to exchange flirty messages.

Rich Martell, 21, was forced to pay £300 and take the site down after University College London (UCL) deemed that the website, FitFinder, brought the institution into disrepute.

The site, which allowed UCL students to flirt with each other online, reached five million hits within four weeks of opening and was soon spread to other universities.

Authorities at UCL deemed the website an undesirable distraction from academic work, and representatives of other universities also contacted UCL to complain about the site, The Times reported.

The final-year computer sciences student was told he could put his degree in jeopardy unless he disabled it. He reportedly described the action against him as harsh.

An online petition to reinstate the site had more than 4200 signatures on Sunday night. A message from Mr Martell on the web page said: "We have been placed under increasing pressure to take the website offline by Universities.

"Subsequently we have decided to remove FitFinder BUT we hope this is only temporary. PLEASE PLEASE sign our petition to being fitfinder back online! With your support we can be a nation of fitties once again!"

A University spokesman said: "UCL does not approve of or condone this site. UCL has no jurisdiction over it.

"We have, however, taken disciplinary action against the student for bringing the college into disrepute and he has been fined."

Violent student protests in Slovenia

Slovenian students violently protested against planned Government reforms that would limit their work during studies and thus lower their income.

The protest began in Slovenian capitol Ljubljana's city center where about 15,000 students gathered to protest against the planned Government reforms that would limit the ammount of work they can do alongside their studies. This would further worsen their financial situation on top of the negative stipend politics of Slovenian Government. In the afternoon, they moved in front of Slovenian parliament building where they started throwing stones, eggs, signposts or anything that could be thrown into the parliament building or the police. On several occasions they attacked the police that responded with pepper spray. Eventually, they caused severe damage to the parliament building, many windows were broken, a molotow was thrown in front of the building, about 30 students were arrested.

Student protest in Republic of Macedonia

Today once again students of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia are protesting demanding (among other things) free/state subsidized higher education, as well as a new way for student organizing consisting of a student parliament based on direct democracy.

We feel that the present structure of the student union (which was recently only renamed to "student parliament" but the people there are the same) works only for the selfish needs of the few people that are in that institution, does not protect and promote the students' rights and does not care about students' needs and problems. On the last elections for student leader, the new leader was elected and according to their statute - he is legitimate, with only 26% (~7800) of all students voted, out of which supposedly around 6000 students voted for him. And the total number of students is 30 000! And they call that legitimate. And the university and the state recognizes him.

Therefore a year ago, as some of you probably know, a group of conscious students arose and formed the independent student movement "Sloboden Indeks" (which is a non-hierarchical movement with no leader or executive board) whose goals are not to replace the student union, but to change the way the present system works by making education available for all classes of citizens regardless of social status, as well as by introducing a new way of student organizing - direct democracy where there are no elections, no student representatives, but where every student is a representative of himself or herself. This way we feel that students will have greater input in solving their problems at their faculties, plus the chance for manipulation by a political party (which is defacto the case with the student union - government controlled) will be minimal if not extinct.

On the question of the Bologna process which was introduced some 6-7 years ago, opinions are divided amongst the activists and students. It did introduce the tuition, yes (before, there were only very small administrative fees) but at *some* faculties the new teaching program contributed to a better quality of education in comparison to the previous system, according to students of those particular faculties. In other faculties on the other hand the problem is that the Bologna process is not fully implemented or respected by the administration and/or professors. So the situation is complicated. While at its core, most of us activists agree with the general statements against it, we decided not to articulate it and be against/for it as is, but instead we will focus on the concrete problems every faculty or student at a particular faculty has.

And in the end I would like to apologize for the lack of communication from our side during this period since the international student day last year. Reason is that the number of committed activists dropped unfortunately and it's very hard especially in a largely apathetic society like Macedonia and in a grassroots movement like Sloboden Indeks to stimulate people to take responsibility by themselves and contribute to the movement without having any personal gain.

Anyway, we are not giving up and we are continuing our global struggle one way or another.

~ One world, one struggle ~

Move it on over: time’s up, students are told

University goes to court to serve protesters with eviction notice.

Middlesex University is applying for a High Court injunction against its own students in a bid to end an occupation sparked by the closure of philosophy courses.
About 50 philosophy students and their supporters occupied the Mansion Building at the university’s Trent Park campus in north London, after it was announced that Middlesex would phase out all undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the subject.

There are fears that the decision could spell the end for the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, which was Middlesex’s highest-rated department in the 2008 research assessment exercise.

The students first occupied a room on 4 May in protest at the failure of senior university managers to attend a meeting to discuss the course closures. They later extended the occupation throughout the building.

Middlesex threatened the students with an injunction today. When they refused to budge, the University moved ahead with an application in the High Court.

Earlier this year, the University of Sussex issued an injunction preventing students from protesting on campus after an occupation of management offices sparked by its plans for more than 100 redundancies. The Middlesex notice, from law firm Nabarro LLP, states: “Your occupation of the Mansion Building constitutes an unauthorized trespass.

“Our client has sought to deal with this matter amicably but in light of your failure to vacate the building despite our client’s requests, our client has no choice other than to take legal action to secure your removal.

“Our client will apply to the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, at the earliest opportunity for immediate injunctive relief unless all protesters in occupation of the Mansion Building vacate within one hour and return control of the building to our client (...) Our client must reserve its position in every respect including the issue of the costs of this action.”

In an email to staff, Middlesex’s vice-chancellor, Michael Driscoll, describes the student occupation as “illegal” and says it “raises serious concerns surrounding health and safety, disruption to the working of the University and costs of security”. He adds that students did not respond to the legal notice. “The University is now seeking an emergency injunction to end the occupation and recover the Mansion Building,” he says.

State of Puerto Rico locks students inside UPR

Humanities Action Comitee: To Students and Civilians Worlwide

Just yesterday, May 13th, the students of the Rio Piedras’ campus of University of Puerto Rico ratified the 22 day strike with an evident majority of votes in favor at a General Assembly that was proposed and organized by the institution’s own administration. Today that same administration backed with full government support have intensified and reinforced their represive schemes against the student movement stepping over our constitutional right to protest. We condemn rector Ana Guadalupe’s decision to activate the police forces against us and we reiterate yesterday’s vote demanding her resignation as well as president Jose Ramón De la Torre’s. Since 4am there has been heavy police presence around the campus; different police units have been brought to guard all posible entrances and to restrict access of students and those in solidarity. We wish to publicly alert the national and international media that up until now they have prohibited not only the entrance of civilians, but also and more alarming, the entry of food donations and supplies needed by the hundreds of students that are currently occupying the campus. The students that reside on campus are being forced to move out and are being threatened with the nonrenewal of housing contracts. We also expect water and electricity on campus to be cut off by 1:00pm.

We exhort all students, professors, workers and civilians; every member of every community, to surround the university gates as they have done themselves. We exhort everybody’s presence here today; we need everyone’s solidarity and support if we are to endure this struggle. We want to let the administration know that their attempts to intimidate have been not only represive but exagerated and unnecesary. We will not allow that the democracy the university’s administration proclaims to practice be arbitrary and partial. Those who participated in the General Student’s Assembly yesterday, experienced a real democratic process in action. The assembly is sovereign and in assembly we voted to continue the strike. We are here to defend the right of all puertorican students to a public education and here we will remain until the administration decides to cooperate and negotiate.

We need everyone’s solidarity and support. Ten out of the eleven campuses that make up the UPR system have declared themselves on strike. All are participating of the same struggle. The same struggle being fought all over the World.

United we stand, divided we fall.

Humanities Action Comitee,
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus