MOTIONS GOING TO REFERENDUM
Following the Union Council Referendum meeting that will take place on Friday 23rd February, the final referendum motions that will be going to the vote will be available for you to read on this page
Motion 2: Should LUU lobby for increased support for International Students?
Motion 4: Should LUU adopt ABBA as its official band?
Motion 5: Should Leeds University Union have a ‘green’ information point?
Motion 6: Should LUU Campaign For Cheaper Buses?
Motion 7: Should LUU support humanitarian fundraising efforts in Gaza?
Motion 9: Should LUU adopt a compassionate drugs policy and lobby the University to do the same?
Motion 10: Should LUU Support The Right of Return for Palestinian Refugees?
Motion 1: Should LUU be neutral on issues of international conflict while it represents people from both sides?
Motion Category: Activities, Strong and Active Union
This Union Notes.
- That Leeds University Union represents over 30,000 members, each of whom has their own political views.
- That each member has the right to have and express his or her opinion without being labelled with a contrasting view because he or she belongs to Leeds University Union.
- That Leeds University Union aims to encourage diversity, but is limiting itself by supporting one side in a conflict while it represents members from the opposing side.
This Union Believes.
- That every member has the right to freedom of speech and freedom of thought and should not be defined by the views of Leeds University Union.
- It is not Leeds University Union's role to take sides in ongoing conflicts while it represents members from both sides of such conflicts.
- That international conflicts are too complex to simply put forward referendum motions which subscribe LUU to opposing atrocities committed by only one side of such conflicts.
This Union Resolves...
- To openly discourage the submission of motions which may compromise Leeds University Union’s impartiality in international conflicts whilst it represents members from both sides.
- To promote each member's freedom of thought and freedom of expression and allow continued protest at the nature of international disputes by members from both sides.
- That this motion should not prevent its own overturning in future referenda.
Proposed by: Richard Mellor
Seconded by: Mark Sellick
Motion 2: Should LUU lobby for increased support for International Students?
Motion Category: Education
This Union Notes:
- That international students pay much higher fees than UK/EU/EEA students.
- Various universities around the UK have fixed tuition fees for international students.
- There is a visible annual increase in International students’ fees at the University of Leeds.
- In 2007 International Medicine students started with £ 12,000 and in 2010 they will be paying around £22,000
- That when students first start university they are not aware of the amount of increase in tuition fees each year.
This Union Believes:
- That International Students at this university already pay an extortionate amount towards their education and this should be taken into account when considering other university costs.
- That it is unfair to expect a student to commit to a course not knowing the percentage of increase they will have to pay year after year.
- That if tuition fees for International students were calculated so that they could be fixed at an annual amount, it would not only be beneficial for them but also for their sponsors.
- That fixing tuition fees will cause the University to be more attractive to potential International applicants.
This Union Resolves:
- To mandate the Education Officer to lobby for International Students fees to remain at their initial level when paying for subsequent years of education and for the university to subsidise additional costs such as sports centre membership, printer credits and other amenities for International Students.
- That the Education Officer will provide regular updates on this campaign at Union Council
Proposed by: Mai Ali
Seconded by: Zachary Herrington-Shaner
Motion 3: Should LUU lobby the University to change the requirement for students to identify as one gender when filling in forms?
Motion Category: Welfare Zone
This Union Notes:
- Currently Leeds University Union and University of Leeds forms request the gender of the respondent as either male or female.
- LUU is a membership organisation and is required to represent its membership.
- LUU has a diverse student body with individuals from all social backgrounds.
- ‘Trans’ is a broad category which includes those who do not wish to identify as their prescribed or biological sex.
- Trans students may not identify as any one gender.
This Union Believes:
- LUU is an inclusive space for all.
- Discrimination against minority groups should not be tolerated and works against the core values of LUU.
- The requirement to decide into one of two given genders further marginalises Trans students.
This Union Resolves:
- To lobby the University to alter the sex/gender category on forms to include an option which reads ‘Do not identify as any one gender’.
- To continue to work with the LUU and national LGBT campaign to protect the rights of LGBT students
Proposed by: Sophia James
Seconded by: Jonathon Bridge
Motion 4: Should LUU adopt ABBA as its official band?
Motion Category: Activities, Strong and Active Union
This Union Notes
- That at Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender;
- That you’re so hot, teasing me, so you’re blue but I can’t take a chance on a chick like you;
- That my destination makes it worth the while;
- That like a super trooper beams are gonna find me;
- That somewhere in the crowd there’s you;
- That we can go walking, we can do dancing, as long as we’re together;
This Union Believes
- That YOU are the dancing queen;
- That I wanna know, what’s the name of the game;
- That the winner takes it all;
- That voulez-vous;
- That you know what to do’ine,
- That we should gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight;
- That a little small talk, a smile, and baby I was stuck;
- That breaking up is never easy, I know, but knowing me knowing you is the best I can do;
- That I say thank you for the music, the song I’m singing, thanks for all the joy they’re bringing;
This Union Resolves
- To make Abba the official band of Leeds University Union
- To mandate the Education Officer to establish and fully endorse an official LUU ABBA day.
- To ensure that the film ‘Mamma Mia’ is shown, on loop in an accessible area, for the entirety of “LUU ABBA day”.
- To mandate the Student Executive to include their “ABBA song of the moment” within each update to the remaining Union Council.
Proposed by: Jonathon Bridge
Seconded by: Matthew Edwards
Motion 5: Should Leeds University Union have a ‘green’ information point?
Motion Category: Wider Society and Citizenship
This Union Notes:
- In 2007/8 LUU was one of only three unions to receive Gold in the Sound Impact Awards, which recognises efforts to reduce their impact on the environment
- The university was rated 14th in the People and Planet 2008 Green League
- The Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, led by Lord Nicholas Stern was recently launched at Leeds University in partnership with London School of Economics
- There are many societies and volunteering projects that are environmentally-orientated
- The UK government has set an 80% reduction target for greenhouse gases by 2050
This Union Believes:
- As a university and union recognised for its leading role in sustainability and its commitment to tackling climate change, the union should make an effort to enhance this image
- Many students are interested in environmental issues and should have a place to discuss and learn about such issues.
- Environmental issues are becoming increasingly relevant and the union has a responsibility to empower students through knowledge
This Union Resolves:
- To allocate an easily accessible and visible space in the union (such as part of the Info Point) to environmental information, to be ready by Green Week 2010
- To ensure that all students have a say in what goes in the area. A forum will take place in Green Week 2009 so that all students can input into the initial stages.
- To ensure the space is used as a means of monitoring the union’s environmental impact and carbon emissions, so that all students can see the union’s progress
- To include in the space a recycling point, bike maintenance, educational material on the science behind climate change and a charity shop in which proceeds go towards student-led environmental projects.
- To use the space as an information point on environmental societies and projects; environmental volunteer and work placements and how to live sustainably
- To look into the possibility of powering the room with renewable energy
- To mandate the Ethical and Environmental Assembly Chair and the CIA officer to ensure this project is fulfilled and to maintain its existence
Proposed by: Emma Hargrave
Seconded by: Sarah McIvor
Motion 6: Should LUU Campaign For Cheaper Buses?
Motion Category: Welfare
This Union notes:
- In 2008, the cost of a ‘FirstDay’ ticket in Leeds was £3.00, in 2005 it was £2.30 – a percentage rise of 30.5%.
- The cost of a term ticket in Leeds is around £90, in 2005 it was £77 – a percentage rise of 16.9%.
- Nationally, statistics show the cost of transport by road rose by 10.3% between January 2005 and January 2008 .
- In 2008, 17% of University of Leeds students travelled to and from campus by bus; this is down from 24% in 2004.
- In 2008, 20% of University of Leeds students owned a car in Leeds .
- In 2008, FirstGroup, the parent company of First Leeds, posted annual operating profits of over £360 million .
- The ‘Green Zone’ is First Leeds’ inner-Leeds discounted zone, but it stretches only to the Arndale Centre in Headingley, cutting out students in halls like Bodington or Oxley.
This Union believes:
- Our continued commitment to tackling climate change means we should be doing everything we can to develop more sustainable means of transport for students.
- Public transport is a vital part of a sustainable transport policy and as such needs to be accessible to all.
- Many students are put off using the bus in Leeds due to the high prices.
- That price rises for 2009 have not yet been announced, but prices are likely to rise further.
This Union resolves:
- To run a campaign calling for First Buses to guarantee a maximum student price of £1 per journey within the Green Zone.
- To ensure all Halls of Residence are within the Green Zone.
- To work with the University in developing this system.
- To network the campaign nationally with other students’ unions who experience similar problems with bus prices.
- To mandate the Community Officer to run the campaign until it is successful in achieving these resolves.
Proposed by: Rob Damiao
Seconded by: Emma Hargrave
Motion 7: Should LUU support humanitarian fundraising efforts in Gaza?
Motion Category: Society and Wider Citizenship
This Union Notes.
- During the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, over 1,300 Palestinians were killed, including over 400 children, and more than 4,000 were injured. In the same period 14 Israelis were killed and over 500 were injured, many as a result of rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.
- Israel attacked Gaza from the air, sea and land. Three hospitals were attacked, the main university in Gaza was almost completely destroyed as were hundreds of civilian homes, schools, health clinics, police stations and government buildings. Much of Gaza's infrastructure, electricity plants, water systems, roads and telecommunications were also severely damaged.
- Amnesty International researchers have found indisputable evidence of widespread use of the chemical white phosphorus against Palestinian civilians in densely populated residential areas in Gaza.
- The repeated use of white phosphorus in an inherently indiscriminate manner is a war crime.
- This attack comes after 18 months of the Israeli siege and blockade of Gaza, which has crippled the Gazan economy, causing starvation and malnourishment.
- Amnesty International has condemned the blockade, alleging that it is a violation of the Geneva Convention and a war crime.
This Union Believes.
- That innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians should not suffer as a result of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
- That the current situation in Gaza constitutes a humanitarian crisis and fundraising efforts to tackle this crisis should be supported.
- That suspected war crimes should be investigated and the accused are brought to a fair international trial.
This Union Resolves.
- To support a day of fundraising for humanitarian relief for Gaza, with all proceeds to be given to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
- To pressure the university to send surplus academic supplies to the students of Gaza and to organise through the Union to provide logistical support for the collection of this aid.
- To send a letter to the BBC condemning their refusal to air the DEC appeal for Gaza.
- To send a public message of solidarity to the Islamic University in Gaza, whose campus has been virtually destroyed, and publish it in Leeds Student.
- To pressure the university to give full scholarships specifically to Palestinian students
Proposed by: Richard Berry
Seconded by: Joel Harrison
Motion 8: Should the advertising policy for the Leeds Student Newspaper be changed to generate additional revenue?
Motion Category: Activities, Strong and Active Union
This Union Notes
- Leeds Student is regulated by the B grade band on Union advertising, banning some companies from advertising based on commercial, ethical or welfare reasons.v
- Leeds Student cannot advertise businesses that compete with services available in the Union.
- Advertising for Union events and services are placed for free, while University adverts are placed at half price.
- Current advertising revenue is not meeting targets, meaning issues will be cut if there is not a significant improvement.
- It costs £1,500 to print each weekly issue. All of this cost must be financed by advertising revenue. Leeds Student is currently £4,000 in deficit to cumulative targets to date. This means it is likely that the issue of February 27th will be cut.
- In the last referendum a motion was passed to make sports clubs exempt from the current advertising policy and draft a policy specifically tailored for them.
This Union Believes
- Advertising constraints placed on Leeds Student are to the significant detriment of the newspaper and in turn the members of the Union.
- The Leeds Student should aim to become a profitable arm of the Union, able to fund itself (including the editor’s salary), and reduce the current financial burden on the Union.
This Union Resolves
- To mandate the Communications and Internal Affairs Officer, Activities Officer and Leeds Student Editor to replace the current advertising policy with a separate policy specific to the Leeds Student which allows the newspaper to generate sustainable advertising revenue whilst also accounting for ethical and welfare considerations, within a month.
- To focus particularly on seeking advertising from external commercial services.
Proposed by: Laurie Whitwell
Seconded by: John Puddephatt
Motion 9: Should LUU adopt a compassionate drugs policy and lobby the University to do the same?
Motion Category: Welfare
This Union Notes:
- Students who are caught using illegal drugs can be kicked out of university.
- A study at Manchester University demonstrated that when drug users enter drug treatment programs instead of jail are far more likely to be rehabilitated. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/17/manchester-university-crime-study
- Students who commit other crimes are not necessarily kicked out of university.
- Alcohol (a legal drug) use is responsible for much violent crime and anti-social behaviour.
- Experiences in some Member States suggest that drug prevention interventions at the individual level may be more effective if also supported by regulatory policies on legal drugs that can limit the access of young people to these substances and reduce their social acceptability. As a result, environmental prevention strategies that address the normative and cultural framework of substance use are gaining ground in parts of Europe. The 2006 Annual Report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
This Union Believes:
- Drug use should be treated as a public health issue and not a criminal justice issue.
- Education is the best way to treat drug use in society.
- Drug policy should be compassionate, non-judgemental and seek to improve the well being of drug users, mentally, socially and physically.
- A compassionate, coherent policy governing substance use should address the harms caused by legal and illegal drugs.
This Union Resolves:
- To adopt a compassionate drugs policy as described in appendix 1 and to lobby the University where appropriate.
- To mandate the exec to implement this policy.
Appendix 1.
- For the university to clarify its position on finding students who use drugs in halls.
- For students found using drugs to not be kicked out of university.
- For students found using illegal drugs to be referred to a drugs counsellor.
- For the anonymity of students to be preserved where possible.
- For the police not to be called where legally possible.
- To raise awareness of the possible harms of legal drugs (legal highs, poppers, alcohol and tobacco etc).
- To address the cultural normalisation of alcohol and tobacco use by ensuring that in any literature or media produced by the union make note of the fact that they are drugs. I.e. To stop referring to ‘drugs and alcohol’ and to instead for example say ‘drugs including alcohol’ or ‘alcohol and other drugs’ etc.
Proposed by: Levent Akbulut
Seconded by: Graham Aitken
Motion 10: Should LUU Support The Right of Return for Palestinian Refugees?
Motion Category: Wider Society and Citizenship
This Union Notes
- That, according to the United Nations, (UN) 720 000 Palestinians were made refugees when the State of Israel was created in 1948.
- That these people and their descendents have been living in refugee camps in Occupied Palestinian Territories and neighboring Arab states ever since.
- That according to UN Resolution 194 the Palestinian refugees are guaranteed the right of return under International Law.
- That UN Resolution 194 applies to displaced Palestinians who had residency in Palestine for two years or more before 1948 as well as their descendents.
- That the Palestinian refugee crisis is the single largest refugee problem in the world
This Union Believes
- That the plight of Palestinian refugees is at the heart of the Israel/Palestine conflict.
- That peace in the region can only come with justice and that the return and compensation of Palestinian refugees would go a long way to achieving a lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis.
- That UN resolution 194 should be abided by so that Palestinian refugees have the right to return to their homes or if chosen can accept compensation as UN Resolution 194 ‘Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property’.
- That despite the fact the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 led to the displacement of Palestinians and led to a refugee crisis, their right of return should not lead to the displacement of Israelis.
- Israel encourages immigration from every continent whilst denying the right of Palestinians to return, which is a breach of UN Resolution 194
This Union Resolves
- To support the right of return for Palestinian Refugees.
- To introduce an annual Solidarity with Palestinian Refugees Day.
- For the union to fully support and publicise a day of events on this day led by interested parties on campus including an exhibition telling the story of refugees, charity fundraising and guest speakers.
- For members of the student executive to facilitate and promote this day, led by the Equality and Diversity Officer.
Proposed by: Adam Ahle
Seconded by: Alia Mahdi
