Environment Health and Safety Executive Committee

I'm not sure I can make this meeting...summer plans and all that.. I think I will be there however, if you want something brought up I will be sure to pass it along.

Advisory Group on the Environment

Meeting to be held on Monday 19th July 2010 at 2:30 pm,
Vice Chancellor’s meeting room, Aston Webb

1. Apologies

2. Minutes of the last meeting 17th December 2009 (attached EAG 10.07.1)

3. Matters Arising:
a. Waste and Recycling Contracts update
b. Sustainable Travel Plan update
c. Carbon Management Plan update
d. Future of the Advisory Group & Sustainability Task Group
(i) Terms of reference/areas of compliance (attached EAG 10.07.2 )
(ii) Membership of the group
e. Eco homes project
f. Green Impacts Initiative update
g. Times Higher Awards
h. People & Planet Green League Table

4. Action Plan 2009_2010 (attached EAG 10.07.3)

5. Date of next meeting

Leaving post

I have made plenty of mistakes while being an EEO I have been far from a perfect officer, but, this is far from perfect guild or movement. I could write about things I have done wrong, done right, done well, done badly…. about opinions expressed in sabb leaving speeches like the idea that empowerment is giving a fresher Ed Sparkes phone number and e-mail or that ethics or liberation are side issues or that students are not the best people to run the guild … or the events of last guild council.

Why should I be self indulgent or reactive? When I could talk about what I think is really holding our movement back, I’m basically no longer an officer, what is the worse that can happen?

I have always been shocked by the blatant corrupt nature of the obvious careerism of so many in guild and NUS… probably worst that I have seen was Labour student and guild president 08/09 Jenifer Larbie going to work for David Lammy the then Labour Minister for Higher Education who so strong in supporting the raising of fees immediately after finishing her stint as guild president.

dominated by Labour students? six of students in the picture are labour students and one is a labour minster..


But, that is just a minor case point in what the careerist stepping stone that the NUS has become. Out of the most recent presidents of the NUS six became MPs, four became special advisors to MP’s (MP’s in waiting), One became a Labour Executive on its national council and another became a Labour London mayoral candidate and a member of the London assembly the only president who didn’t take the Labour career instead joined the British communist party. For the record since the once home secretary and now the right honourable MP for Norwich south Charles Clarke Became NUS President in 1977, there has only been one Non-labour NUS president.

Our movement is a shadow what it could be and students have has lost so much… we’ve lost: Travel Grants, Special Equipment Grants, Minimum Grants, Older Students Allowances, the right to claim housing benefit, unemployment benefits and income support during holidays, the introduction of loans and now the looming threat of top up fees.

And at the same time that students are losing so much, those at the top have taking more and more, while corruptly saying that there is no money for students… just over the last ten years…The number of staff paid over £100,000 at the University of Birmingham has gone from 28 to 96 and in terms total pay to management there has been average increases of 19.9% each year since 2000. The VC’s wages have also increasing staggeringly from £169000 to £342000 in same period. Both of these increases are far out of proportion with the growth of the university which has grown in the same period by an average of 6.6% per year.

Our movement largely crippled by careerists won’t even organize a national demonstrations or local campaigns against the worsening situation… seemingly because the controlling labour students is at best quasi democratic and has some very dubious “democratic channels” which are easily controlled by Labor party central office and those in hope of a political career will not upset this order by running campaigns with real bite.
Just five points about labour students…
1.The Labour party fund Labour students
2. The Labour party employ Karim Palant full time to “liaise and lobby” Labour students.
3. Labour students sabbatical officers work at Labour central office
4. Labour students is run effectively by the steering committee not by its conference which has effectively no powers.
5. the steering committee is made up of three Labour students, the sabbatical officers based at Labour party central office.

Please don’t think that I back any of the other political factions that are so rife throughout student politics… they are just as bad, in the case of the SWP, maybe even worse. I’m against allowing formal factions, and it was Jack straw who removed the “no politics” clause when he was president of NUS in 1970... turning the NUS into waste of time mini parliament it is today.(watch out this lot)

This years campaigning on fees and cuts have been some what lackluster in my opinion and I’m upset by a guild that has broadly welcomed the logic for plans of £20 millions pounds worth of cuts at the university.
The solution to ending the domination of this careerist political clique that controls and restricts… is… I think to leave the NUS… time to finally say goodbye to that colossal bureaucratic nightmare that costs the guild of students a badly needed £65,000 pounds a year to affiliate to.

The NUS as democratic representative body has failed completely, turnouts make it look embarrassingly out of touch with most students. The NUS is not dealing with the problems of student finance, housing, and standards of tuition effectively. While at the same time as being a massive financial burden its factional politics are passed back down to its member unions by those with using it as back door into their own parties.

(On a side note leaving the NUS would also get us cheaper beer, freedom of choice and better ethics. Including the cost of the affiliation fees NUSSL s one of the most expensive bulk consortiums ever and additionally it restricts our choice to its own limited catalogue, which includes very few Fairtrade items and no Stella!)

Frankly, we would be better off without this political clique… unions In Scotland, where all the major universities are already out of NUS, non-affiliated unions got together to do their own lobbying and campaigning over fees, grants and loans. The culmination of their efforts was the abolition of tuition fees in Scotland… something the NUS thinks is just impossibility.

Anyhow so goodbye for now, I’m not going anywhere, I will be back next year, maybe trying to get the guild to leave the NUS and certainly pushing anti fees/cuts and the ethics rights and environmental agenda forward wherever I can.

Much love to rest of the officer team, all the best to you

Edd xxx

Ethical investment, would be so easy...

How appropriate is it that a charity and a public institution are funding the manufacture of torture equipment and landmines... it would be so easy to sort out but, guild officers for the entirety of my time at university have consistently blocked progress. It is a change that countless student unions have achieved, to the benefit of their universities and students... the below is a plea to next year team to stop acting like spanners in the work and be a help not a hindrance.

Images like this are deeply disturbing; peace activists shot multiple times at close range, some dying, some dead. Over forty shot, if you have any doubt, about the nature of violence last Monday you can find the evidence here however, the images are very disturbing so, you may not want to look.

Can’t we have an investment policy at the University of Birmingham or at the guild of students that means we have nothing to do with M-16 totting kids rappelling out of helicopters and shooting aid workers? Freedom of information requests about the university holdings reveal not only does it has stakes in the manufacture of M-16s that the Israeli commandos use but in depleted uranium weaponry, cluster bombs, land mines and torture equipment not just sold to Israel but other equally repressive regimes like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

Would it be so hard? The USS, which is the universities academics pension fund, holds £19 billion can manage an ethical policy. As can universities like Oxbridge colleges, Edinburgh, York, East Anglia, Stanford and Harvard The School of Oriental and African Studies not to mention the massive local authority bodies like Devon, Hampshire, London, Croydon, and Edinburgh.... to name a few.

It wouldn’t cost a dime, the guild has this year committed to adopting an environmentally friendly investment policy, the change doesn’t have to happen overnight, merely the next time a new investment is made, just make sure it is in line with ethical policy... a gradual transfer costs nothing.

Interestingly, modern studies are challenging the assumption that ethical funds underperform the market. Some are going as far as indicating that they could be more profitable. The FTSE4Good index has repeatedly outperformed the FTSE index and the Jupiter Ecology Fund has grown in value by 135% since its inception. It is thought that the more diverse nature of ethical fund holdings and the avoidance of share value disasters like what is currently happening to BP lead to the increased profits that have been clearly more resilient to the recession.

And if the university is looking for an ethical equity fund that has performed consistently better than the BGI fund that is uses it should try this one
Ethical investment is a change waiting to happen at the university, it just needs students to at last act as catalysts. We would only be asking them to invest our money more competently while making the university more attractive to alumni donors.

This year’s officer team have refused the lobby the university, blocked attempts in guild council on spurious fears of recriminations by large multinational companies. This is a challenge that countless student unions have got their university to rise to... so please will next year’s officer team rise to this challenge? I’m looking at Dora Meredith next year’s president Ashley chambers the VPDR and Rob Hunter in particular to take the lead on this.
If you want to tackle this ...

You will need to get ethical clauses built into the terms of reference of the university investment subcommittee. Win student representation on this committee, shouldn’t we have a say in how our finances are run? And strengthen the universities incredibly weak ethical investment policy which reads “The Members actively encourage the Fund’s Investment Manager(s) to take account of social responsibility considerations insofar as they believe such considerations will not jeopardise return or increase risk. The Members also consider non-financial and reputational risk and have chosen not to invest directly in companies that are involved in the production and sale of tobacco”.

Terms of Reference investment sub committee

(a) To determine the investment policy and the criteria upon which the investment performance will be measured
(b) To determine delegated authorities of staff within the Finance Office, within the investment policy
(c) To ratify changes to the investment policy made within the delegated powers
(d) To receive reports from the University’s Finance Office on Financial performance and compliance
(e) To receive reports from organisations used by the University for investment purposes
(f) To review investment performance against policy and asset management criteria
(g) To report to the Governing Body on investment policy and performance
(h) To monitor strategic risks relevant to the work of the Committee as determined by the Strategic Risk Register.
(i) To monitor the extent to which value for money is achieved within the areas under the Committee’s oversight
(j) To monitor relevant Key Performance Indicators and to ensure that any concerns with performance against these KPIs are addressed

If on the other hand you are not a officer why not engage in a e-mail conversation or telephone call to Mr R Shortland the Assistant Director of Finance
t: 0121 414 6109, e: r.a.shortland@bham.ac.uk

Motion for next guild council, Supply chain justice

As a next step in the WRC campaign I want to get the guild to lead by example and affiliate to the WRC on its own. This will cost the guild £500. However it will make us the first organization in the UK with a ethical procurement policy that deals with discrimination and gender equality with effective independent monitoring.

It will show a working of example of effective ethical procurement in the UK and help our efforts to get the university to sign up. In the process we will show that Birmingham students are not only committed to civil liberties and equality but are innovative and determined.

There are other benefits for students as well; The WRC helps arrange internships abroad for students interested in human rights work via their unions. Signing up to the WRC would be an opportunity for Birmingham students seeking this kind of work.

The guild is already committed to spending this money and signing up to the WRC, however this motion changes our commitment to signing up as a student union rather than jointly with the university.

It is currently backed by the following

Lincoln Smith Oxfam, Matt ward LGBTQ officer, Allan Ssesanga ethnic minorities officer, Emma Cooper LGBTQ officer (elect) , Laura Beckman Ethical and Environmental officer (elect), Catharina Paul Women’s Officer (elect), Rob Hunter VPEA (elect), Joseph Moses ARAF (elect) and Lizzy Bell people and planet

Any changes or edits, please message me or discuss here

Guild Council Notes:

1. The WRC is a US-based independent labour rights monitoring organisation, conducting investigations of working conditions in factories around the globe. Their primary focus is the labor practices of factories that make apparel and other goods bearing university logos.

2. In December 2009 The Worker Right Consortium Fruit-of-the-Loom-campaign, organized by the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) and USAS, was the first time student pressure has forced a company to reopen a factory and re-employ all the workers EVER, The Guild was thanked for its part in bring campaign to the UK.
3. 186 universities and colleges are affiliated worldwide to the WRC but, as yet no organization in the UK has taken this step. Signing up would make the guild the first UK organization to do so and show we are a group of progressive and innovative students.

4. The WRC supports union organising in developing countries and actively tries to empower workers is the only monitoring organization that deals comprehensively with Gender Equality. Other codes only mention gender issues, with reference to general discrimination. The WRC deals with gender specific employment related issues like maternity & paternity leave, occupational health, housing, childcare and work family balance provision.

5. The WRC helps arrange internships abroad for students interested in human rights work via their unions. Signing up to the WRC would be an opportunity for Birmingham students seeking this kind of work.

6. Signing up the WRC as a union would cost £500.

a. Assurance that our ethical policy is being implemented
b. Reputation Protection from negative attention of being involved with Unethical practice.
c. Opportunities for students such as internships
d. Positive publicity of being the first UK organization to sign up

Guild Council Believes:

1) As part of the £8 billion spent in the higher education sector on purchasing we have an ability and a responsibility to use our expenditure to contribute to lower carbon emissions, and aid development in the Global South, whilst maintaining a strong commitment to upholding human rights.

2) The Fruit of the Loom campaign success must be followed up.

3) There needs to be global strategic frameworks in place to make workers unionising globally the rule not the exception.

4) That the worker rights consortium is the most effective and most appropriate structure of support for workers rights in university supply chains.

Guild Council Resolves:

5) To lobby the University to affiliate to the WRC.

6) To join the University in affiliating to the WRC, in the event of the university affiliating.

7) To look into proportionally sharing the cost of affiliation with the University.

8) For the Guild, until the University does affiliate, to the lead by example by signing up to workers rights consortium on it own.

9) To encourage all other student unions and universities to follow suit.

Guild Council Mandates:

1. For the President of the Guild with the EEO, to write to the Vice Chancellor the director of HAS, all members of the senate, council and executive, encouraging the University to sign up to the WRC and explaining why the Guild has done so.

Corporate structure

I was writing that we need to change the nature of our movements collective intelligence. Information our movements “collective intelligence” is very much focused on the officer team. We need to transfer this to the very fabric of our movement.

Collective intelligence helps us deal with the world, free information like wikipedia is a great example of collective intelligence… collectively formed by those who tread the same paths.

It time that the student movement at Birmingham starts building for all students not just officers a data base on the university… which is why I’m publishing details of university structures along with contact information that aren’t available purely on the university website.

Universities are a Byzantine mess, they are one of the few institutions other than monarchy and the church to survive intact from the medieval era … we say intact but modern reforms have brought about a unified administration in the form of “corporate services”, with the Registrar and secretary at its head.

Below are the contact details of corporate services main positions and details of who is charge of who… so you know who to go over whose head by

These Directors unlike some of the members of the senate and council, although they maybe sympathetic… with their “job hats” on they will always fee obliged to take the universities side in every case. Unlike the academic structures of university they also are not tied by any democratic structures.

If you are getting no where, maybe just e-mail them all!

The Registrar and secretary Lee sanders l.sanders@bham.ac.uk , the president of guild has regular meetings and contact with the Registrar and secretary, if the president won’t back your cause however don’t be afraid to contact him yourself.

May also be worth using his PA --- PA to Registrar and secretary Kim Davies k.m.davies@bham.ac.uk if no luck try calling on Tel: 0121 414 3977

The following Directors all work directly under the Registrar and Secretary

Director of Academic services Brendan Casey B.Casey@.bham.ac.uk

Director of Finance Gill Ball g.ball@bham.ac.uk

Director of IT Services Dr Sean P Duffy : s.p.duffy@bham.ac.uk

Director of development and IT issues Nick Blinco n.blinco@bham.ac.uk

Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services Heather Paver h.paver@.bham.ac.uk

Director of Legal Services Caroline Pike cmpike@bham.ac.uk

Director of estates Ian Barker i.barker@bham.ac.uk

Director of planning office Christine Abbott cmabbott@bham.ac.uk

Director of housing and accommodation Stuart Richards s.richards.2@bham.ac.uk

Director of corporate relations Tracey Lancaster … don’t have her e-mail can anyone help fill in the blank?

Stuart Richards Director of HAS and Brendan Casey Director of Academic Services both have series of sub directors working for them

Working for Stuart Richards Director of HAS

Director of university catering Sue Mclaren s.j.mclaren@bham.ac.uk

Director of Sport Zena Wooldridge zjwooldridge@bham.ac.uk

Director of Housing and accommodation general manger Lesley Stewart k.stewart@bham.ac.uk

Working for Brendan Casey Director of Academic Services are

Director of Library Servies Dianne Job d.m.job@bham.ac.uk

Director of Learning Development bob hunter r.hunter@bham.ac.uk

Director of academic and student admin Sophie Bowen … unfortunately missing

Why we should publish the vice chancellors e-mail for all students to hassle him.

To build a movement that grows, that changes, that has weight it needs to constantly replenish it self with, new activists, new “hubs” of the movement. This is something I think we do very poorly at the guild of students.

Hubs are easy to spot; they do a vast amount of the work, and they seemingly know everyone and have connections seemingly everywhere.

Yeah, we need people like this but where I think the guild falls flat on it face… Is that it turns these “hubs” into permanent entrenched leaders who suppress the development of their replacements… limiting the growth of our movement.

To become an effective student activist on campus you need introductions … not just to other students and student groups but to the university its officers and managers and union and staff campaigners… more than it requires skills, knowledge about the university and a memory of the past.

The Guild reserves all these things for mainly for its officers as an officer you get the training, get taught about university structures told who is who, who to approach on each issue and start building relationships with these people.

This knowledge needs to be decentralized away from individuals and woven into the very fabric our student movement’s environment.

We should have pages on the guilds website profiling the universities directors with the e-mails available, interactive maps of the universities committees; including their links. Members remit and contact information.

The system of campaign representation was (I hope) designed with the best intentions, to get students heard. Its has unfortunately now become more like a bottleneck more of a block than boost to student campaigns. It is surprising? we don't need the one many army we need hundreds of students with the tools and will to make a difference.

Up until I leave as EEO I’m going to spend time publishing this information as best I can, while its up copy and paste it incase it gets removed.
I’m going to start with the upper management academic structures
University council – the highest body in the university, approves all decisions.

Professor D Eastwood The Vice-Chancellor and Principal d.eastwood@bham.ac.uk
Professor M C Sheppard The Vice-Principal 30/09/12 M.C.Sheppardl@bham.ac.uk

Professor M J Hilton Modern History 2012 M.J.Hilton@bham.ac.uk
Professor J M Marshall Medicine 2012 j.m.marshall@bham.ac.uk
Professor C Ryan European Economics 2013 c.ryan@bham.ac.uk
Professor A J Schofield Physics & Astronomy 2013 ajs@th.ph.bham.ac.uk


The Heads of College members of the council


Professor A Pauwels Arts and Law Email: a.pauwels@bham.ac.uk

Professor E W Peck Social Sciences e.w.peck@bham.ac.uk
Professor M C Press Life and Environmental Sciences m.c.press@bham.ac.uk
Professor N P Weatherill Engineering and Physical Sciences n.p.weatherill@bham.ac.uk
Professor L S Young Medical and Dental Sciences l.s.young@bham.ac.uk

The senate

think of this as guild council for the university, recent reforms have weaken its powers considerably and handed them over the executive, however this is how staff and student dissent with decisions is expressed. If you are upset with a decision that seems to have already been made… then it could well be useful to approach these people.

Three College Board members (each of these has been nominated by the Heads of College)

Engineering and Physical Sciences

Dr D F Hermans Director of Education hermadfm@adf.bham.ac.uk
Professor A J Schofield Director of Research ajs@th.ph.bham.ac.uk
Professor D W L Hukins Head of School, Mechanical Engineering D.W.Hukins@bham.ac.uk

Arts and Law

Professor M D Stringer Director of Education m.d.stringer@bham.ac.uk
Professor V L Gaffney Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer v.l.gaffney@bham.ac.uk
Dr L Brydon Head of School, History & Cultures L.Brydon@bham.ac.uk

Social Sciences

Professor C Ryan Director of Education c.ryan@bham.ac.uk
Professor C K Skelcher Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer c.k.skelcher@bham.ac.uk
Professor P B Jackson Head of School, Government and Society p.b.jackson@bham.ac.uk

Food Action Forum Group Meeting on 12 May 2010

Summary Notes and Actions of Inaugural Food Action Forum Group Meeting on 12 May 2010, 3rd floor Staff House, University of Birmingham


Attendance: Sue McLaren (SJMcL), Ed Sparkes (ES), Louise Sherratt (LS), Mark Houghton (MH), Kevin Herbert (KH), Jane Colbourne (JC), Adrian Blower (AB), Katie Ford (KF), Edd Bauer (EB), Laura Beckmann (LB) and Angela Smith (AS).

Apologies: Tom Guise (TG).

No. Item. Action.
1.0 Introductions:
• Sue McLaren opened the meeting and invited each member to introduce themselves.
2.0 Apologies:
• Please see above.
3.0 Membership and Terms of Reference:
• Terms of Reference were agreed by all present.

Review and Amendment of Current Membership:
• It was agreed that the membership should also included 2 members from the Residents Association. Ed Sparkes to advise.

ES
4.0 Update on Services:
Guild:
• Adrian Blower advised on the refurbishment that is taking place in the Retail and courtyard areas of the Guild. £4 million has been invested and the project is due be completed by July 2010.
• The group were advised that the food court has been designed to provide a more ‘upmarket’ feel, along the lines of “Zizzi’s” at a reasonable price. The bar is a multifunctional area able to deal with day and evening requirements.
• Coffee Nation machines will be fitted in membership services areas; these will be on same scale that is offered at the Main Library.
• Edd Bauer raised concerns over the ‘ethics’ of the Rain Forest Alliance which Coffee Nation promotes.
• A Chinese frozen and dry goods shop is opening in the Guild called ‘Fresh Asia’.

Catering:
• Sue spoke about the recent i-Graduate survey and advised that she would circulate the results to Adrian Blower once her copy had been returned.
• Coffee Tender – Peros has been appointed. University will provide fairtrade coffee in coffee shops. Starbucks will not be included as it’s under a different contract.
• Refurbishment works will begin in Staff House on the 1st and 2nd floor and hopefully will be ready for the start of the next academic session.
• Works will begin in University Centre in summer. Spar and 19 Gales will be relocating. The café area will be expanding and a mezzanine floor introduced to give a food court feel to the area. Café Spice will be a noodle type style of outlet. Mark confirmed that tofu and vegan options will be available. Mark also advised vegan meals are currently available in outlets, but only provided on request.
• Guild and University will work together to promote vegetarian and vegan foods on the new Campus Cooking site.
• New counters in Fusion have been well received.
• Catering prices will be review in August.
• I Lounge Café – café operation is planned to open in the Library at the start of the next academic year.
• Starbucks opening times will be reviewed for the exam period for next year.
• Meal Plan from September 2010 will be able to accept certain VAT items, i.e. orange juice and ice cream.
• Sue briefly spoke about the cashless card system and will give a full update at the AMG. Note: It would appear that the current EPOS system is unable to facilitate this functionality.
• Kevin and Ed spoke about the campus cooking project run by Tom White that will be launched in September offering residents a food diary system, cookery demonstrations, international films, shopping guide to Birmingham and much, much more. This initiative will be advertised on both Guild and University portals with the aim to targeting 1st year students.
• British Food Fortnight (18 Sept – 4 Oct) takes place over Welcome Week this year. Its aim is to promote British produce and local sustainable products. Mark hopes to have the Farmers Market on site during this promotion.

SJMcL

KH & ES
5.0 Any Other Business:
• It was agreed that Adrian and Sue would keep each other in the loop regarding research to save duplication and will look at the possibility of introducing ‘mystery shoppers’.
• Katie raised questions over the future of Avanti and was informed that it will be evaluated depending on the new structure of University Centre and Staff House. Sue advised that she was keen to keep the Chicken Joe brand as it is very popular.
• Jane Colbourne is in the process of writing FAQ’s and will include items regarding vegetarian and vegan food.
• Polystyrene plates and containers used in Avanti are receiving complaints. Catering is looking at introducing bio-degradable cardboard products. Guild is also exploring more environmentally friendly items.
• Jane C will advised on areas were Soya milk products available on campus.
• Sue will look at the offers in Avanti as comments regarding ‘healthiness’ have been received.
• Sue M thanked Ed, Edd and Katie for all their efforts with the formulation of this group and wished them well for the future – it was hoped to build on this group.
• Van sales of local produce are to be investigated for the residential sites.

AB & SJMcL
JC
JC
SJMcL

Date of Next Meeting: To be arranged. Group wishes to meet in July 2010.

Food Action Forum Group

As some of you will know the first "official" meeting of the oddly titled “Food Action Forum Group”, is meeting this Wednesday at 1pm.

Below is the terms of reference for the group (what it deals with officially) and the agenda for the meeting.

If there is anything you would like brought up, especially any ethical or environmental issues or suggestions you have with or for catering related issues. Please do message myself or Ed “I got naked but, I am not wot for” Sparkes or suggest something on the group wall for debate.

Edd

Terms of Reference:

The Food Action Forum Group is concerned with all aspects of catering and food provision on campus and in halls of residence. The Group aims to consolidate the various existing methods of gaining student feedback (Residents’ Association, the E&E Committee, Focus Groups, Forums, Survey etc…) and provide a forum for the discussion of all catering related issues including Hub grub, procurement, healthy living, ethical and environmental impact, costs/prices, services and operational issues.

The Group aims to be a force for collaboration between the University of Birmingham and the Guild of Students in order to develop and enhance the catering experience of all stakeholders on campus.


AGENDA


1.0 Introductions
2.0 Apologies for Absence
3.0 Membership and Terms of Reference
3.1 Review and amendment of current membership
4.0 Update on Services – Guild and UoB
5.0 Any Other Business

The back door... that is odd, I feel like the front door has been kicked in

In my title I'm of course referring to the executives, rather arrogant dismisal of the no campaigners asking for changes to the referendum.

Johnny Davis said “this is a back door attempt to make changes” of course this is a referral to guild council’s attempts to change the new bye laws.
Somehow the referendum has become a absolute result ... odd considering the actual question asked was ““Should the Guild of Students develop and implement new democratic decision making processes based on these proposals, which can be found at”

And here is quote from the guilds president during the campaign “It is about getting the basic idea that we want referendums and open meetings and then we will draw up the 'legal texts' which will have to be approved by Guild Council and the trustee Board anyway.”

I can only describe the position that we can’t change the proposals because of the result of referendum deeply hypocritical.

Considering that as a test of student opinion that the results are somewhat invalidated by the way the Guild of Students allowed the 'yes' campaign privileged access to its extensive resources. This included employing students to hand out leaflets and put up posters in support of the 'yes' campaign, using the Guild's professional marketing department for the preparation and dissemination of 'yes' campaign material, granting access to Guild of Students Facebook group and events pages, and Guild and University e-mail lists, as well as respective officers soliciting support from residence associations and student groups for which they have responsibility. Most, if not all, full-time sabbatical officers campaigned in support of the 'yes' campaign against an under-resourced 'no' campaign run by students, many of whom were in the middle of essay deadlines and exams. All at a cost that we can only guess to be measured in the thousands.

It is not a stretch to question the meaning of 'support' for the proposals given that the 'yes' campaign focused largely on a simplistic and ambiguous 'vote yes' message couched in terms of currently popular memes such as 'change' and 'progress' which did not reflect the significance of the reforms being discussed or the issues raised during the 'consultation'. The only public debate during the campaign(s) was very poorly advertised by the Guild of Students and only around 10 students attended.

Considering despite this, hundreds of students voted no any many like some no campaigners asked abstained (yes Votes: 1681 No Votes: 337 Abstains: 98 spoilt ballots: 39 Total Votes Cast 2155 Total Valid Votes 2116) about 78% yes, it would not a stretch to be allowed at least allow some small amendments to be made... absolute none where. In my opinion the guild has taken another turn for the worse.

Protect Students not Israel!

Before I start, I do not find racism in any way enjoyable, and I am firmly for most No Platform policies in most contexts.

The motion, if passed; would discourage, daunt and threaten deeply needed debate that is morally and legally legitimate. The motion asks students to accept the EUMC definition of anti-Semitism, a definition the UK rejected in favour of a definition of all hate crime.

The EUMC definition while well reasoned in many respects, has serious flaws. From it individuals criticising Israel can be smeared as racist.

Individual criticism of Israel can be inferred to be racist simply from the fact that such criticism seems disproportionate when compared to some general level of criticism levelled at other western democracies or other states. Anti Israeli activists can’t help that the general criticism of say Britain, France the USA are not higher (it really should be), Anti Israeli activists don’t deserved to be smeared as racist because other people don’t criticise other countries as much.... it would also be absurd to ask them to criticize all the other racist, ethnic cleansing and criminal states at the same time, there are unfortunately many of them, we are talking about are individual students not amnesty international! Racism is heavy charge to bring against students and no platform is a extremely harsh punishment speaking in what is considered above the proportionate general level of criticism, if such rules where applied to all aspects of debate how would change ever happen?

The EUMC definition also defines Nazi comparison i.e drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis, as racist. I can see the issue I would understand if someone compared Jewish person’s activities to that of Nazis or Nazi Germany, but I consider the state of Israel to be just as liable as any other state to this kind of criticism ... and the exercise of comparison is certainly not in most contexts racist.

Israel breeches regularly many fundamental human rights and commits ethnic cleansing, as do many states who should also be criticised, I like many students on campus would be branded racist and lumped in with skinheads and the fascists.

This motion needs resisting... the officers have given the motion no recomendation, which means they neither condem nor condone. I would have hoped the team would have rejected it, guild council is on tuesday may 4th, do attend if you can.

Here is a copy of the motion

Motion: EUMC Definition of Anti-Semitism
Guild Council Notes:
1. The last year has seen an unprecedented increase in Anti-Semitic attacks on Jewish students on campuses all over the UK
2. The EU Monitoring Committee working definition on Anti-Semitism has been created and agreed upon by all member states of the European Union as the right way to identify Anti-Semitism
3. At the last National Conference, the National Union of Students by a majority vote decided to renew the EUMC definition in their constitution
4. The decision to renew this was supported by all seven NUS delegates as voted for by the students of the University (which include the President, VPHC, VPSAD, VPDR)

Guild Council Believes:
1. That all students have the right to study, socialise and live free from racism, fear and intimidation
2. That the working definition of Anti-Semitism sets the boundaries of what constitutes Anti-Semitism whilst still allowing for criticism of Israel

Guild Council Resolves:
1. To put the Guild of Students on the front line in tackling Anti-Semitism and all other forms of racism.
2. To encourage the Vice-President of Welfare, ARAF officer and the Jewish Society to work with other societies to raise awareness about Anti-Semitism and the different forms it takes

Guild Council Mandates:
1. The President of the Guild of Students, when signing off external-speaker request forms, ensure that all external speakers follow the EUMC definition
2. The President of the Guild of Students to reject a speaker if they have a history of Anti-Semitic language in line with the EUMC definition.

Transition Birmingham?

Copenhagen was never the be all and end all it was billed to be….But, at least we got a lot of rhetoric out of our leaders….

I have talked to a good few of you about this, many of us seem think that well… our governments have kind of failed to get their act together … and maybe never really intend on organizing the piss up in the brewery in the first place, so…. What is our alternative?

There are thousands of things that we can do, at individual, community, national and international levels in order to combat the climate crisis reduce our impact on the environment and work towards a fair, sustainable future…. Yeah our governments could help facilitate that … but well, we can do it without them! Maybe there will come a time when Politicians across the world stop being a central part of the problem only influenced by big business and their own careers and they will lend a hand (lol).

Since the politicians are part of system so inept, that they can’t even save themselves our alternative must be, I think, organizing ourselves and working together creating and implementing solutions …. And getting a “transition” to a low carbon society started ourselves.

Our working aims last December where….

1. Raise awareness of the upcoming climate change summit at Copenhagen
2. Discuss the deals which may, or may not be made
3. Encourage activism and for people to come to ‘The Wave,’ a climate change protest being held in London on the 5th December
4. Encourage everyone to lead more ethical, carbon neutral lifestyles
I think we need to recognize that with the failure of Copenhagen that our purposes have evolved …I think we should shift our tactics and aims. I still think we should participate in those big “lobby Gordon” activities …. It just that I now feel they are less relevant to us and we need to shift what we are doing.
Our four could be working aims could be for example…
1. Educate people about how the University community works.
2. Make sure everybody knows about our transition efforts, our activities and get everybody involved.
3. Set up practical Programs’ to help people and the university cut our carbon pollution and waste.
4. Spread our work beyond the University, into the local community and forge working links with local government.

Additionally I would like to change the name and description of this organizing group to “Birmingham University Transition Organizing” and the “how old will you be in 2050” to “transition Birmingham university”.

The groups and networks we built up during the Copenhagen campaign are a valuable resource we should utilize, from which all of us could promote our efforts like the big green fair that was organized at the end of last term.

What does everyone think?

International Women’s Day and the Workers Rights Consortium

International Women’s Day and the Workers Rights Consortium
Workers Rights means Liberation not just for workers but for all groups! A sentiment shared by The Workers’ Rights Consortium, which states it is against all forms of discrimination; gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin.
Why women’s day??? well studies show that women are amongst the three most vulnerable groups in the work place along with ethnic minorities and foreign born. Not mention 90% of the workers in sweatshops are women.

And there are some outstanding abuses of women’s rights goings such as companies requiring pregnancy tests upon applying for employment, forcing workers to take contraceptives, paying women less, demoting or firing for maternity leave.

The worker rights consortium pushes this code of conduct regarding women’ rights
“Women’s Rights:

I. Women workers will receive equal remuneration, including benefits, equal treatment, equal evaluation of the quality of their work, and equal opportunity to fill all positions as male workers.

I. Pregnancy tests will not be a condition of employment, nor will they be demanded of employees.

II. Workers who take maternity leave will not face dismissal nor threat of dismissal, loss of seniority or deduction of wages, and will be able to return to their former employment at the same rate of pay and benefits.

III. Workers will not be forced or pressured to use contraception.

IV. Workers will not be exposed to hazards, including glues and solvents, that may endanger their safety, including their reproductive health.

V. Licensees shall provide appropriate services and accommodation to women workers in connection with pregnancy.

The Workers Rights Consortium protects and aids women’s liberation movements. Take a look at the story of these five women who formed Bangladesh’s first non-politically-aligned, women-led, trade union and where imprisoned for it.


Yes the Workers Rights Consortium is not perfect; it doesn’t give a direct voice to Women activists... however compared other models, which take funding from the companies causing the abuse, who don’t always act on complaints, it’s certainly a positive step. If you had been pressured into an abortion by your employer would you go an organisation you didn’t trust to be on your side? The Workers Rights Consortium Fosters close ties to independent labour organizations and its independence puts it in a position to win the trust of all groups in a community.

Anti-Sweatshop activist from People and PLanet team up with Women’s Rights activists on campus to fight for equal rights in the supply chain, on March the 8th international Women’s day. We delivered our massive petition, which was symbolically written on T-shirts, to the Vice chancellor to protect women and women’s rights in our supply chain.

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The below is a open letter regarding the new democratic structure from a group of concerned students at Birmingham, including myself. We feel that the proposals have been somewhat pushed through and we are no appealing to those in the process of formulating the final model to reassess certain elements of the proposals in the face of the criticism they have received. this has aslo been posted on the radish website http://j15committee.baylott.org/

Dear Guild Decision maker,

We are writing to you regarding the recent cross-campus referendum on the proposals for a new democratic structure for the Guild of Students. In the final formulation of the model you may have some say.

We feel that as a test of student opinion that the results are somewhat invalidated by the way the Guild of Students allowed the 'yes' campaign privileged access to its extensive resources. This included employing students to hand out leaflets and put up posters in support of the 'yes' campaign, using the Guild's professional marketing department for the preparation and dissemination of 'yes' campaign material, granting access to Guild of Students Facebook group and events pages, and Guild and University e-mail lists, as well as respective officers soliciting support from residence associations and student groups for which they have responsibility. Most, if not all, full-time sabbatical officers campaigned in support of the 'yes' campaign against an under-resourced 'no' campaign run by students, many of whom were in the middle of essay deadlines and exams. All at a cost that we can only guess to be measured in the thousands.

We would also question the meaning of 'support' for the proposals given that the 'yes' campaign focused largely on a simplistic and ambiguous 'vote yes' message couched in terms of currently popular memes such as 'change' and 'progress' which did not reflect the significance of the reforms being discussed or the issues raised during the 'consultation'. The only public debate during the campaign(s) was very poorly advertised by the Guild of Students and only around 10 students attended.

We also feel that students, in general, have not been able to participate properly in the development of the model during the consultation process. The focus groups were poorly advertised, seemingly only within the Guild. Their validity for testing the reception of the proposals was seriously undermined by a lack of objectivity by officer participation the organisation of the sessions, the proposals clearly coming from the officers themselves under the guise of market research and the participants in groups would not have allowed for open detached analysis of the proposals and positive responses are not surprising.

The “You” Survey, which has been constantly referred to in Council and during the campaign, could be said to have included the views of many students across campus, but its general and superficial questions are a poor substitute for genuine engagement in how the Guild is run. It is difficult to see it as anything else than a market research exercise which has been wielded as a convenient instrument to blunt the criticisms of students who have engaged more meaningfully in the debate.

In our campaign we singled out postgraduate representation in particular as we felt they had effectively not been consulted at all on these proposals. There is a strong argument that the proposals could cause lasting damage to postgraduate representation within the Guild (which is, arguably, already in a poor state - although numbers have risen on council in the past year). Given this and the fact that postgraduates are a large minority within the university community, we feel that this on its suggests that major flaws existed in the methodology and/or conduct of the consultation process which may on its own necessitate a complete re-evaluation of the proposals apparently informed by it.

Ultimately, we feel that the result is not very indicative of student opinion at-large. Considering the circumstances under which the referendum was conducted which we have outlined above, a 4:1 vote ratio and a turnout of less than 10% cannot be meaningfully considered as support for the proposed reforms. We also would like to see change in the Guild and hope the proposals will now go through a period of genuine (well-advertised!) consultation, where genuine concerns about excluding the voices of groups on campus from the Guild and the ability of students to be involved meaningfully in the decision making process are listened to instead of being met with substance-less and derisory rebuttals from Guild officers.
However, we are aware that the cross campus voting cannot be ignored, but hope that the above points will have pointed out some of the flaws of the referendum process. We also hope that in the upcoming stages students will have a more present voice in the drafting of the final democratic structure and on behalf of the "vote no" group would like you to consider and take into account the concerns that we have with the proposed model.

1) the steering group; in the consultation process students said they did not want officers to vote, the new model removes the officers' voting rights but instead gives them the power to set the agenda of guild council. we feel this has been due to a misinterpretation, something has clearly gone wrong; adequate safeguards need to be put in place to ensure the steering group remains accountable to students, which could be achieve through features like;
=> Removal of all powers to reject a motion other than ultra vires (stated explicitly in the groups terms of reference)
=> non-exec members elected regularly to the steering group from guild council,
=> letting all students attend the steering group meeting in nonvoting capacity , guarantees that the process of overturning a officer decision will only inculde speeches from the floor (none from the steering group) and
=> a clear procedure to get a rejected motion onto guild council agenda swiftly without a delay to a guild council that could well be next term or even next year...

2) Fairer Representation in Guild Council; a proportionate system for postgraduate and undergraduate students and a realistic representation of cultural and religious groups. Postgraduates and undergrads are two groups with very different experiences, with many differing needs which are clearly not relative. Postgraduates should not have to compete with undergrads for fair representation.
The same applies for cultural, religious and political groups.

3) Ensuring responsive decision making; At present it needs 1000s of signatures to calla guild council for a specific issue. this is not a major issue since guild council is regular (3 times a term). However, in the new proposed structure guild council is only taking place once a term, so that there is a need for more achievable guidelines to call an "emergency" guild council. This could include the reduction of required signatures or power given to guild councillors themsevels to call a guild council. However, whatever the mechanisms in place, we believe that it needs clear and fair guidelines to give all societies equal access to the opportunity of calling additional guild councils if needed.

Additionally, and for the same reason, we believe that it must be possible to call a referendum at all times in the year taught to all guild councillors, as the current proposals strongly imply they can only happen once.

5) The problem of the representativeness of decisions taken in the open forums: these forums happen more than once a week (5 per month), and since it is not clear that these are compulsory meetings for all guild councillors we strongly doubt that the decisions taken by these forums will be in any way representative.

We would suggest that the open forums can make consequential decisions only if the subject had been on its agenda in advance (maybe 2 days is sufficient here), to ensure that people who have an interest in this topic know it is being discussed and can contribute to the debates and decisions.
issues brought up at the meeting itself can be discusses but should be decided on maybe at the next open forum (which will prob only be one week ahead).
All the best
Concerned Birmingham students

The referendum result indicates as much about student opinion as a ritually sacrificed chicken

As you may have found on the Guild of Students website, the results of the referendum are as follows:

Total Votes Cast 2155
Total Valid Votes 2116

yes Votes 1681
No Votes 337
Abstains 98

The results are now being reported to the Trustee board who will take the referendum as poll for student opinion to decided on the new structure.

I’m not surprised with this result; however I do feel that as a test of student opinion that the results are somewhat invalidated by the way the guild conducted the referendum; by employing students to hand out leaflets and put up posters for the yes campaign, Using a professional marketing department for the yes campaign material, Using guild Facebook group/events, e-mails, Residence associations and student groups for coercive messages for the yes campaign, full time officers campaigning against students in the middle of their essay deadlines and exams and all at a cost that can probably be measured in the thousands- I feel that the result is somewhat less indicative of student opinion and somewhat more telling of the guilds campaigning resources.

The No campaign was invited to a public debate, which on many points it won, and Tom guise even ended the debate with vague promises of reform the steering group structure, which I eagerly await... however the event was poorly advertised and only around 10 students attended and while the no campaigners where debating at the public debate, paid flyers where spreading out across campus delivering “vote yes” material... To be cynical, I would say that the debate was deliberately under promoted...

For me the biggest dangers now are that post grads have become jettisoned by the guild, the yes campaigners have been claiming that postgrads can represent undergrads and we should break proportional representation. This one of the daftest moves by the guild in recent year’s postgraduates and undergrads are two groups with very different experiences, with many differing needs which are clearly not relative, postgrads should not have to compete with undergrads for fair representation.... but on this point what I’m most confused by is how this came about? When Tom Guise originally came up with this model in June of last year (before all the consultation) postgrads where given fair proportional representation... somehow in consultation despite no one asking for it and even some criticism of the lack of PG representation. Postgrad representation was lost..... but why and how?

The new steering group structure will mean students relying (they shouldn’t have to) an officer not trying ride roughshod over students with differing views, yes that officer will receive clear guidance through forums… if somewhat disparate… but they won’t have to listen … or act… or even interpret what they hear… at the different forums in any mandated way….

It will be very easy for officer to say for instance, “we’ve done a lot of straw polls, market research/ surveys talked to many students; individually, in focus groups and forums…. And they way we see the data is …. students want this”… no one can really compete with the officer because they are hub of so much information, which is only available to the average student in the form of basic minutes and partially revealed research. Obviously this is a system open to abuse and safeguards need to be in place or well we could have more events like this referendum...

Guild council will become smaller... less regular (once a term) ... less representative (two representatives representing all cultural groups??) and arguably less powerful... in my view a disaster ... somehow the new “open forums” which sound great are meant make up for this, but come on, all they are is a little quality time with the officer team, shouldn’t we be getting that anyway? I don’t want to sacrifice genuine representation for these open forums, as EEO I have set up open forums in my own remit last term, but I never thought that somehow meant I didn’t need to go to guild council....

The way these reforms have been pushed through is undemocratic, tom originally came up with these proposals last year, way before the consultation and they have changed very little, except small things like the abandonment of postgraduates... during this past year I have asked to be allowed to attend and be allowed to see the minutes of the democracy review group or whatever it was called... these requests have been constantly denied and despite many negative reactions in consultation very little has changed from the proposed structures of June and certainly in no sense has the underlying logic of centralisation changed.

I am for serious changes to guild democratic structures (and if anyone wants to hear what they would be, I would only be too happy to oblige) but I’m against these changes, I’m against more executive power, I’m for fair representation and I’m against the way these changes have been pushed through.

I and the other no campaigners intend on continuing our campaign if you fancy joining please do join the FB group and message one of the admins.

Recycle cartridges & mobile phones for Charity

This is the inkjet cartridge and mobile phone recycling scheme that helps charities raise funds without costing you a penny. The scheme is run by Environmental Business Products Ltd who has been working with charities for over 12 years and donated over £3 million to date!

Residents associations and the Guild are are lauching collections all across student accommodation, so keep a eye out, it should be in hall near you soon!

Currently drop off points are available at the following places… keep checking for more updates.

Tennis courts – Tecra office
Jarrat hall – Flat 107
Mason - Flat 10, block 1

Importantly who do you want, the money to go, what is your cause? Take part in the below poll to have your say..

*The final decision rests with res exec

Recycle cartridges & mobile phones for Charity:poll

ACT 4 AFRICAAnti-Slavery InternationalBritish Heart FoundationBreast Cancer CampaignChelmsford MencapEden ProjectKaris Neighbour SchemeMarie CurieNomad Homeless Advice & Support UniPeople and PlanetUNA TrustWoodland TrustTreeHouse- ambitious about autismThe Cambodia TrustPharmaciens Sans Frontière


View Results

REDRESS FASHION SHOW 2010!! Don't miss out.. best fairtrade event of the year

Showcasing the lastest fairtrade, vintage and eco styles modelled by guys and girls including items from the EMMA WATSON collection! A night of fashion, music and dance with DJ Thorp and Ironmonger providing the beats!

We also have special performances from Medic Dance Society, ACS Gospel Choir and a variety of singers.. (and more live acts still to be confirmed..)

If anything takes your fancy on the catwalk, you want to get yourself a vintage bargain or you want to pick up some handmade jewellery for that perfect Mother’s Day gift then there will be a market place open before and after the show!

There will also be a bar with a range of fairtrade and organic drinks, as well as a charity cake stall throughout the night.

We're even raffling off an outfit or two..

And don't forget to bring all your unwanted, good quality clothes and accessories to the swap shop!

A night not to be missed!!
Tickets are £5 for students and £7 for non-students and are available from 19Gales farmshop in University Centre.

If you're lucky enough to live in halls or be a member of FOCsoc then your tickets cost just £2.50 (for the first 300 buyers). These special offer tickets are avaliable from your Guild Ticket Sellers.

THERE WILL BE GUYS FASHION TOO!!

International Women’s Day, protect women in our universities supply chain…

What you thought that the naked photo shoot was it… campaign over…nah this shit is ongoing…

The Vice chancellor is reading through all his massive piles of letters from us… mulling all this over and of course staring at our naked bodies, Fabian gave him a copy of our naked pictures.

This Monday international women’s day we are going to be giving him a gentle reminder about what this all about, get for workers the basic independent protection systems that we all take for granted.

Why women’s day??? well studies show that women are amongst they three most vulnerable groups in the work place along with ethnic minorities and foreign born. Not mention 90% of the workers in sweatshops are women.

And there are some outstanding abuses of women’s rights goings such as companies requiring pregnancy tests upon applying for employment, forcing workers to take contraceptives, paying women less, demoting or firing for maternity leave.

And there are other problems groups like the Suman group in Bangladesh in face of its women workers attempting to form the first women led union in Bangladesh it lobbied the government to make women led unions illegal and used there legal clout to get the five women arrested.

So this Monday at 2:30 we are going to be delivering our massive petition, which has been symbolically written on T-shirts, to the Vice chancellor to protect women and women’s rights in our supply chain.

We are meeting in the guild at 2:30 in the common room in the guild of students and we go from there to Vice Chancellors office.

The more people come out in the delegation the more impressive it looks and the bigger impact it will have on the vice chancellor and his pro vices so please do come out.

Any questions please do call or text me on my mobile 07988056867

Sign up to Workers rights Consortium say, Islamic and Jewish Societies

Dear David Eastwood

On Thursday, February 11, 2010, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) announced that it had filed a lawsuit against T.A. Loving Company (a North Carolina based construction company) for denying religious accommodation to several employees and then later firing them because of their religion. (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. T.A. Loving Company, Civil Action No. 5:10-cv-00054). This is unfortunately just one of the many cases of religious discrimination in the workplace around the world. Many cases like this never get to the stage of being heard in court and many countries do not have the commissions in place to protect workers like the USA’s EEOC. I’m writing on behalf of the University of Birmingham Jewish society, to encourage you to sign up to an independent monitoring body such as the Guild suggests - the workers rights consortium.

We would be happier knowing that universities apparel is free from not only Anti-Semitism but all forms of discrimination. We were greatly concerned when we heard about the plight of five women from Bangladesh, who formed Bangladesh’s first Independent Garment Union Federation (BIGUF), the first non-politically-aligned, women-led, trade union to be established in Bangladesh’s apparel sector which was subsequently terminated by their employees the Sunman Group.

Please do everything in your authority to sign the university up to the workers rights consortium as soon as possible.

Sincerely

Lior Sayada
Birmingham Chair of the Birmingham JSoc

Dear Vice Chancellor,

Islam, in its authentic form, gave to mankind an ideal code of human rights fourteen centuries ago. These rights aim to confer honour and dignity on mankind and eliminate exploitation, oppression and injustice.

As a result, I feel obliged (on behalf of the University of Birmingham Islamic Society) to encourage you to partner yourself with Workers Rights Consortium (WRC) - an independent labour rights monitoring organisation, conducting investigations of working conditions in factories around the globe.

It is unfortunate that human rights are being trampled upon with impunity in many countries of the world, including some Muslim countries. Such violations are a matter of serious concern and I can assure you (as a senior representative of the largest student society on campus) that students are increasingly focussing their efforts in campaigning for a just human rights solution to some of the most destitute and depressing circumstances imposed by the world’s most merciless regimes.
For example, towards the beginning of this year, nearly 400 students from various backgrounds attended University of Birmingham Islamic Society’s “Remember Gaza” presentation, which commemorated Israel’s deliberate and disproportionate attack designed to punish, humiliate and terrorise a civilian population in Gaza, Palestine. – The event was an illustration of how such transparent violations of human rights abuses are arousing the conscience of more and more students throughout the UK.

Signing up with WRC will be an additional opportunity for the University to ensure all its licensed goods have been produced to the highest of ethical standards.

“O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most just with his fellow human beings. Behold, God is all-knowing, all aware.”
(Al Qur'an, Al-Hujurat 49:13)

Yours Sincerely

Tamour Khan

University of Birmingham Islamic Society

Sign up to the Workers Rights Consortium says black and ethnic minority’s association

Dear vice chancellor,

I’m writing on Behalf of the universities Black and ethnic minorities association and as the guilds ethnic minority officer, to persuade you to sign up to the workers rights consortium.

I am very proud of the work the university has done in creating a positive discrimination free environment that, my self, the BEM association and the student we represent would love for you to extend the university excellent work in this area.

Students want to have the guarantee that the university garments are free from discrimination, can you imagine what it would be like to not be able to get a job because of your perceived ethnic origin? Or being directed into different jobs because of the colour of your skin?

Just last year I was horrified to hear about Ornamental Iron Workers not directing non-whites to the same jobs as their white counterparts resulting in a disparity of work and pay.

Signing up to the worker rights consortium is easy and it would guarantee that all the universities clothes, appareled and all the goods sold in shops on campus are free from abuses that the employees of Ornamental Iron Workers had to suffer.


All the Best


Allan Sengassa
University of Birmingham black and ethnic minority’s association

Sign up to worker rights consortium say, disabled students

Dear Vice chancellor,

I’m am writing to ask you as Disabled students officer and with the disabled students association, to ask you to sign up to the workers rights consortium because of the role it plays in defend those around world who are victims disability discrimination.

For example thousands of people worldwide are the victims of stigmatization because of the illness for example, many employees require HIV testing as a precondition for employment. A Process which only encourages prejudice and negative attitudes, abuse and maltreatment directed at people living with HIV/AIDs.

It is simpler story for many all over the world with all kinds of disabilities, Signing up to the workers rights consortium would, help guarantee that garments on campus are not made in factories that have abusive practices to people living with disabilities aswell as promoting better practices and protection for disabled people.

The workers rights consortium protects not just people with disabilities, it protects against all forms of discrimination; gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, political opinion, or social or ethnic origin.

With all this in mind we would like to encourage you to sign up to the workers rights consortium as soon as possible.

Sincerely

Claire Lister Disabled student’s officer
and the disabled students association

Sign up to worker rights consortium: say sports representatives

Dear vice chancellor,

I’m writing as vice president of sport at the guild of students and on behalf of the universities sports teams. I think the University of Birmingham has an excellent track record of supporting high ethical standards and in promoting equality.

Thousands of women worldwide are forced or pressured to take contraceptives by there employees or made to take pregnancy tests on applying for work. They are also often paid less in wages and benefits given less opportunity.

I am proud to say sport over the last century has had a role in breaking down symbols of masculine power and prestige while being a talisman and role model for women’s liberation and the egalitarian process. This a proud history that Birmingham’s sportsmen and women would like to see carried on at Birmingham.

Signing up to the workers rights consortium would guarantee that the women producing our sports team clothes will; Receive equal remuneration, including benefits, equal treatment, equal evaluation of the quality of their work, and equal opportunity to fill all positions as male workers, Pregnancy tests will not be a condition of employment, nor will they be demanded of employees, Workers who take maternity leave will not face dismissal nor threat of dismissal, loss of seniority or deduction of wages, and will be able to return to their former employment at the same rate of pay and benefits, Workers will not be forced or pressured to use contraception, Workers will not be exposed to hazards, including glues and solvents, that may endanger their safety, including their reproductive health, Licensees shall provide appropriate services and accommodation to women workers in connection with pregnancy.
Additionally sport has another proud history of fighting racism for example the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee (SAN-ROC) which was formed in 1963 and operated all the way through the aparthied regimes time in power, it was a beacon of hope, equality and change for many. The impact of Olympic boycott of all South African sports bodies that practiced apartheid should also not be underestimated. Signing up to the workers rights consortium would protect workers who make our sports apparel from racism and discriminatory practices.
I have been talking, with the other officers in the guild, to Will Hemming from Kukri who is our major supplier say Kukri is very happy to be monitored and would welcome the Workers rights consortium into its factories in china. Please do everything in your power to sign the University of Birmingham up to the workers rights consortium swiftly.

Sincerely

Katie Ford Vice president of Sport

Sign up to the Workers rights consortium say: anti racism activists on campus

Dear Vice Chancellor,

I’m writing on Behalf of the universities Anti Racism and Anti Fascism association and as Anti Racism and Anti Fascism officer, to encourage you to sign up to the workers rights consortium.

186 universities worldwide have signed up to a code of practice and monitoring organisation that guarantee the workers in its supply the chain are free from racist abuse and discrimination.

Racist abuse of poor disempowered groups is easy and systematic. Nike for example recently had to pay out 7.6 million dollars because its managers used racial slurs against its black employees and shoppers, segregated jobs so that the higher paid jobs went to white workers, and routinely told security to monitor not just black customers but also black employees because of their race, Quietflex Manufacturing Company, L.P. had to pay out $2.8 million to 78 current and former workers for employee discrimination and Benenson Rehabilitation Pavilion had to pay out for the racial harassment of 29 employees, with a settlement of $900,000.

These unfortunately are just the cases where groups desperately in need of justice where successful and they where results of long struggles, it took four long years for the Nike workers in Chicago. Today many find themselves without a hope of ending the discrimination against them and many find themselves in impossible battles to end it, for example the current ongoing case against Fiber and Fabrics International is proving a hard struggle where Fiber and Fabrics international requested successfully a arrest warrant, without bail, for the activists campaigning against it.

Students on campus want to know that clothes at the university have not been produced by a worker who has had suffer racist abuse and discrimination, so please do everything in your power to sign the University of Birmingham up to the workers rights consortium

Sincerely

Anna Lawton guild of students anti racism and anti fascism officer guild of students
and The University of Birmingham ARAF association

we all got naked for workers rights

Thanks for coming, everyone was amazing, we were so numerous that we looked like some kind of naked army, braving the cold, against exploitation.

it was fun action with a serious message, getting Birmingham university signed up to the WRC, if successful, would be the most significant and progressive change in UK procurement practices since fairtrade.

It would mean us as students teaming up with workers, women and all kinds of liberation activists.

corporate social responsibility is great, however in global terms it is like responding to the suffragette movement by saying we will pass equality laws but you still cannot have your own representation or votes, just trust us to be nice....

Lets hope for positive response from our VC, more actions like this are in the works so stay in touch or better start organizing your own action for the WRC with your friends, message me if you want any support

Get Ready for the naked action against sweatshops

The Independent, (the national paper) maybe coming to cover the story of the international day of action in the UK as ours will be the best action in the UK.....making it great if lots of people turn up but very bad if not many people do.... that being said them turning up guarantees nothing particularly if there are not many of us there.

Please do get the message by any means you can, get your friends along and don't forget to tell them about the great naked after party at the naked lunch toga party on 9th afterwards!!

at the photo shoot there will be

one big banner for people just to show there faces and feet

some medium size cardboard signs which much like the pic on the group go between thighs and and shoulders.

a few small small A2 sizes

and one small A3 sign for Ed sparkes who has volunteered to stand at the very front... what a guy!

please do message me back saying which size you would like I will reserve one for you, it would aslo be help to know just how many of each type we will need.

myself and few volunteers are going to be door knocking around halls trying to get people and selling tickets to Ethical fashion show on the sly, on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evening, if you would like to join us please do message back.

Public meeting -5pm in joes, Yarl's Wood Hunger Strike Solidarity

I hope many of you will have similar sentiments to mine regarding the recent violent events in yarls wood detention center.

The media coverage of the strike has been very poor, but I am sure some of you will have seen, that a mass hunger strike has been ongoing by the women detainees of yarl's wood against the disgusting conditions and abhorrent practices there.

The demands of the hunger striking women can be found here , they include demands such as "End the frustrations, physical and mental torture at the centre" ,"To end all false allegations and misrepresentations by the UKBA regarding detainees in order to refuse bail or temporary admissions." and "Access to appropriate medical treatment and care as in the community, access to edible and well cooked food, phones with good mobile connections, with camera and recording facilities to back up cases." which are very reasonable.

shockingly The private security guards of the Serco group have violently attempted to end the hunger strike and attempt on the 8th of February saw 70 women being locked in a corridor for up to 8 hours without access to food, water, toilet or medical care. Many collapsed and about 20, who climbed out of a window, were beaten up and taken into isolation cells. Four of the women, singled out as 'ringleaders', were taken to Bedford police station and subsequently transferred to HMP Holloway prison in London, without being charged with any offence or brought before a judge.

These women are guilty of nothing except trying to survive, Serco's activities make me sick.

students across the country have been engaging in a number of protests in solidarity with the hunger strikers have taken place. On 10th February, students held a two-day solidarity hunger strike at the London offices of Serco, the private security company that runs Yarl's Wood. Two days later, on 12th February, a noisy demo was held outside Serco's offices, with around 50 people present. 84 Northwest No Borders activists also took part in a 24-hour fast in solidarity with the 84 detainees on hunger strike. 66 people in Bradford also took part in a one-day solidarity hunger strike. On 17th February, a protest was held outside HMP Holloway in solidarity with the 'Yarl's Wood four'. Another protest at the Serco offices in London has been called for Friday, 26th February.

Knowing that the Serco Birmingham offices are In selly oak not and not a stones throw from my house, I would like to call a public meeting to discuss what we can do at 5pm this Wednesday in Joes, in the guild of students.

"The strikers include -below is from from press release on indymedia


Women on hunger strike include:

Ms O, who has now been taken to Holloway prison. She fled to the UK having suffered years of domestic violence from her uncle in Nigeria and was then threatened with Female Genital Mutilation. She was told by a woman who befriended her that she didn’t stand a chance of asylum.[6] In 2007, she was arrested and convicted of possessing criminal property as she had a little money in her bank account because her parents’ home had been sold. She was remanded in Holloway and eventually in desperation and believing that she would be released sooner, pleaded guilty. She was taken straight from prison to Yarl’s Wood. She reported to the Yarl’s Wood health centre that she was a survivor of torture and showed them her scars. But she remained in detention. (Women Against Rape helped another woman win £38, 000 in similar circumstances.) A lawyer demanded £4000 to represent her. Her barrister used the wrong name in court, didn’t present all the evidence in her case and she was refused. During the
hunger strike, she was told by Yarl’s Wood staff that "You are from the jungle” and she should“go back”.

Ms D, a Black woman and a mother of two, has been detained for 11 months. She was convicted of“racially aggravated assault” after police were called to an argument in a shop. She tried to stop police taking her youngest son from her, was held down and accused of kicking a policeman. One of the police officers (all white) called her a 'black bitch' to which Ms D responded 'white bastard'. This led to a conviction for possession of drugs. She was imprisoned and then taken
to Yarl’s Wood. Her 16 year old son is in the care of social services and her seven year old with a cousin. Ms D was assaulted by a guard on Monday and suffered bruising to her head. She is being held in segregation because she has visible bruises and she has had no medical treatment for her injuries.

Ms N, a lesbian woman and a single mum with two children, has been in the UK for 12 years. She fled to the UK from Jamaica after she witnessed a murder, was falsely accused of being a “police informer” and beaten and stabbed. She had no idea that she could claim asylum in the UK. For years she was unable to speak about the rape she suffered from her stepfather as a child. She eventually
disclosed it to Women Against Rape describing how when she told her real father about the abuse, her stepfather killed her mum. She won asylum in late October but the Home Office appealed and has been kept in detention since. Her son has been attacked by a gang and threatened with guns while she’s been inside.

Ms W has been in Yarl’s Wood for eight months and is on the seventh day of her hunger strike. She has lived in the UK for 10 years and her daughter is British. She was convicted and imprisoned for 10 months for possession of drugs after she was forced to carry a package by men who threatened to kill her and her daughter. She could never speak about the threats as the men told her that they knew where her daughter was and would kill her if she talked. Ms W has not seen
her seven year old daughter for 1 ½ years. Her daughter cries constantly on the phone. Relatives say that she sometimes starts packing her bags to “go and see mummy”.

Ms S has been in Yarl’s Wood for eight months. Ms S is from Jamaica. Her mother left for the UK when she was six and she didn’t join her mother until she was 12. She was traumatised by the separation. In her teenage years, she started using drugs and at 19 was arrested for intent to supply. She was threatened by a gang that if she gave information to the police she would be killed so, fearing for her life, she went on the run. After 15 months she was caught and
got a heavier sentence because she had broken bail. She now faces deportation to Jamaica where she has not been since a child. Other women say she has been transferred to prison but we can’t get hold of her.

Ms M fled rape and other torture in Gambia. She tried to get help from the legal aid clinic in Yarl’s Wood but they didn’t get back to her for four months. She is on five different medications but still joined the hunger strike."

Resurrected: policy from the dead, continue your movement

All guild policy lapses after three years, which means unless is it renewed by guild council it lapses and is forgotten, As guild council motions are not easily accessible and as there is no updates about motions lapsing, We actually lose many many motions to be forgotten.

This is shame for a movement for our long-term progression and development as movement requires a collective sense of identify and history, which is something that we lose by not seeing what our predecessors did.

Last guild council I dragged up two policy documents from the past one several years lapsed and the second only two weeks.

The first was “Balloon releases and the environment”, which for four years between 1999- 2003 was recurrent issue which the guilds conservation volunteers championed, On 23rd January 1998 the Guild launched 1000 black balloons into the atmosphere as part of the anti tuition fee campaign, the move was heavily criticized as balloons take can take 6 months to degrade in the environment longer in cold water and are very damaging to marine life, this resulted in four years later ,in 2003, Edward Polehampton of Recycling Society and Ro Jackson of Conservation Volunteers passing motion banning balloon releases.

This policy lapsed and one of the societies behind it disappeared, GC has now renewed it, but the movements narrative and continuity can be said to be broken, unfortunately we don’t record our history particularly well as an movement, the best records we have are anecdotal ones kept by the occasional PHD student who has been around forever. Recording what we do stops us cyclically repeating ourselves and acts as a resource for future students.

If conservation volunteers had recorded their past activities would their current members have championed the legacy rather than let it slide?

The best immediate thing you can do as society is start your own blog, record what you are doing, so future students can look back when thinking about what to do next.

For example take a look at the radish old and new it is record of discussions and ideas and activities.

Waste Reduction and Recycling Group

Notes of meeting

Present: Trevor Shields, Donna Willmetts, Niki Constantinou, Edd Bauer, Tom Guise and Peter Larkin

No. Item. Action
1. Apologies
Dave O Driscoll
2.
Update on Current Initiatives
(i) Binless Office Sceme
The scheme was continuing to go well in the Muirhead Tower with around 10 to 20 bags collected each day. There was potential for a glass bin on the ground floor.

4 locations were now taking part with a further 9 locations having expressed an interest in signing up. From the original stock of 230 bins there are now only 80 bins in stock. A bid for funding for further bins was in place.
Action: Publicity to be updated regarding current situation of glass bin in the Muirhead.

(ii) Rocket Composter
A meeting was being organised to discuss the future location of the rocket.
Action: The group to be updated on progress.
(iii) Grounds and Gardens

Around 20 tonnes of wet leaves were collected last year (not 60-70 as first stated).
Recycling bins on the Vale were not being widely used.

There were concerns regarding the service provided by the City Council.

Action: The Guild to contact the RA’s regarding publicity for the Vale recycling bins. The Guild to contact the City Council to encourage improvements in the service.

(iv) Guild Initiatives
The University was looking at a potential charity scheme with Veolia for recycling ink cartridges.

Action: The group to be updated on progress.

Action: The possibility of the Guild joining the University waste and recycling contracts was to be put to the Guild Trustees at the end of March.

(v) Batteries

A recycling bin was to be placed in the each of the Village receptions, and the Muirhead ground floor.

Action: The possibility of small bins to be placed in the Guild.

PL, DW, TCS, TG, EB, PL, TGPL, TG, EB

3. Waste and Recycling Figures
Updated figures were discussed. The trend over 5 years for waste to landfill was generally downward, however the increase over the last year was possibly due to the large number of office moves.

Action: Barry Higgins to be contacted regarding paper purchasing figures.
Action: The recycling figures to be circulated to the group.

TCS, PL
4. Awareness and website
The environment and Guild websites had been updated.
There was to be a staff student forum in the Guild at 5:00pm on 2nd February.

5. AOB


4. organisations were to be interviewed from a shortlist of 5 for the general waste and cardboard tender.

7. Date of Next Meeting

Wednesday 14th April 2010 @ 11.00 am, No 54 Pritchatts Road

Fairtrade Steering Group – 3rd February 2010

Present: Stuart Richards (Director of HAS – Chair), Pete Nobbs (Medicine and Dentistry), Sue McLaren (Director of Catering), Lucy Whalley (Oxfam), Erika Malone (Retail), Jane Colbourne (HAS Procurement), Edd Bauer (Guild Ethical and Environmental Officer), Sylvia Gardiner (Library & LUCIA), Margaret Healy-Pollett (Chaplaincy & Traidcraft stall), Lizzy Bell (People & Planet), Louise Sherratt (Catering Operations), Edmund Duesbury (Fairtrade Supporter), Zoe Pflaeger (Post Graduate)
Apologies: Steve Burton, Angie Gibson, Kate Weiler, Helen Senior

1) Minutes/Actions from last Meeting
• Jane has been in touch with Starbucks about arranging a meeting but has yet to set a date. JC
• Website – Helen has updated the Fairtrade webpage and has added the Fairtrade fortnight events. http://www.has.bham.ac.uk/catering/fairtrade/

• Redbrick article – unsure whether an article went in Redbrick.
• Fairtrade Officer for Oxfam – this is ongoing but should be ok
• Fairtrade offer at new Guild catering outlet. Sue has emailed Adrian at the Guild about offering Fairtrade products.
• Stuart has spoken to LGUA about serving Fairtrade beverages at meetings
• Report to the Fairtrade Foundation – the University’s Fairtrade status has been renewed and the Foundation congratulated us on the number of events organised. Well done all!
• Erika has been trying to get FT sales figures from Spar and Costcutter.
• Coffee Nation – this coffee is not Fairtrade but is Rainforest Alliance certified. Louise has spoken to Ken from Coffee Nation but there is no current plan to change. Sue will keep this under review.
2) Fairtrade Fortnight
• Wine tasting 22nd February 6.30pm Café Aroma Staff House. Lucy is awaiting confirmation from John Boyle that the Co-op will support the event again this year. If not the ticket price may need to change. Payment for the wine can be made by purchasing card if cardholder goes with Lucy to collect it. Sue offered transport for collecting the wine via one of the catering managers. (LW, JC)
• Ethical Buffet 25th February 7.00pm Noble Room Staff House.
• Fashion show – Friday 12th March Great Hall 7.30 – 9.30pm with stalls open from 6.45 and until 10.15. There is an issue with drinks – Sue will speak to her managers about this (LB, SJMcL)
• 27th February Fab n Fresh at the Guild with Traidcraft stall
• Fairtrade beer and wine festival at the Guild during all of Fairtrade Fortnight
• Naked Day of Action – Students against sweatshops (People and Planet and Fairtrade Foundation campaign) 24th February.
• Fairtrade Association Birmingham (FAB) will have a marquee in Victoria Square on 27th February 10.00 – 3.30. May also be arranging a Fairtrade Tea Dance nearby.
• Lucy will prepare a poster for all the events for everyone to circulate. Stuart offered to get the events circulated on the all-staff email list if Lucy sends the text to him. (LW, SR)
3) Traidcraft – Margaret has a new volunteer but more volunteers would be welcome so the stall could be opened for longer. £170 was banked after Christmas sales. Sales are growing. Unfortunately the safe had been broken into again however there was no money stolen this time as it had been banked. Margaret has not had a response about the Guild volunteer form.
4) LUCIA
• Coffee tasting in Starbucks 10th March at 6.45pm. Tickets £2 in aid of LUCIA. Starbucks has a link with coffee growers in Ethiopia which is where LUCIA supports projects.
• An art exhibition with local artists is planned in June
• Beer and skittles at the Selly Park Tavern 19th February. Tickets £4.00 from John Rickards in the Library.
• LUCIA will have a stall in the FAB marquee on 27th February.
5) FAB
• Jane has sent text about Fairtrade at the University for the Fairtrade City pamphlet that is being prepared for FAB.
6) AOB
• £712 was raised by Angie Gibson and her colleagues at a bake sale at the Medical School yesterday in aid of the Haiti appeal.
• Angie asked (via email) whether anything could be done to encourage the University to use Fairtrade products at high profile events such as the BUAFTAs. Stuart will investigate the pricing structure.(SR)
• Erika reported that Spar intend to widen their range of Fairtrade products
• Erika offered a stall at the Farmers Market on 24th February for Fairtrade. If anyone is interested they should contact her.
• Fairtrade apple juice is now available and also Divine butterscotch flavour. Fairtrade chocolate flavoured milk has been trialled but did not sell well.
• Organisation of a tea party had been mentioned at the last meeting. It was suggested this would be better held later in the year in the Great Hall.
• Edd would like the University to support the Workers Rights Consortium. There is a cost of £1000 per year – the Guild has offered £500 and Kukri a further £100. Edd circulated a letter to the University requesting its support.
7) Next meeting – 12th May 3.00pm 3rd floor Staff House