Compulsory Student Unionism On Way Out
I support voluntary membership of students associations for two reasons.
Firstly, I find it abhorrent that anyone should be forced to join or fund an organisation against his or her will.
Secondly, students associations are a stronghold of the far left and as such are training grounds for future enemies of freedom.
ACT's Heather Roy has a bill in the pipeline to abolish compulsory membership, while groups like Student Choice have been hammering away on the campuses.
Some associations seem to realise that their compulsory days are numbered.
Press Release - Student Choice
Student Choice would like to congratulate the Otago University Students' Association on moving towards becoming an organisation that students would want to join voluntarily.
OUSA's recent announcement that it's preparing for a future under voluntary membership shows an acceptance that the days of compulsory are numbered, Student Choice spokesman Mike Heine said.
"Student associations have never had any incentive to serve students properly under compulsory membership. The result has been decades of misrepresentation and misuse of student money. OUSA's announcement that it is actually going to try representing students is long overdue, and sadly all too rare," Heine said.
"While OUSA are to be commended for their change in attitude, there is much more that needs to be done. No association can ever be fully relevant to every individual. OUSA - and every other student association - should test their relevance by giving students the freedom not to join.
"Only by introducing freedom of association will OUSA achieve their aim of becoming truly relevant," Mike Heine concluded.
Student Choice is a student-run, national organisation promoting voluntary student association membership on the grounds of freedom of association.
Firstly, I find it abhorrent that anyone should be forced to join or fund an organisation against his or her will.
Secondly, students associations are a stronghold of the far left and as such are training grounds for future enemies of freedom.
ACT's Heather Roy has a bill in the pipeline to abolish compulsory membership, while groups like Student Choice have been hammering away on the campuses.
Some associations seem to realise that their compulsory days are numbered.
Press Release - Student Choice
Student Choice would like to congratulate the Otago University Students' Association on moving towards becoming an organisation that students would want to join voluntarily.
OUSA's recent announcement that it's preparing for a future under voluntary membership shows an acceptance that the days of compulsory are numbered, Student Choice spokesman Mike Heine said.
"Student associations have never had any incentive to serve students properly under compulsory membership. The result has been decades of misrepresentation and misuse of student money. OUSA's announcement that it is actually going to try representing students is long overdue, and sadly all too rare," Heine said.
"While OUSA are to be commended for their change in attitude, there is much more that needs to be done. No association can ever be fully relevant to every individual. OUSA - and every other student association - should test their relevance by giving students the freedom not to join.
"Only by introducing freedom of association will OUSA achieve their aim of becoming truly relevant," Mike Heine concluded.
Student Choice is a student-run, national organisation promoting voluntary student association membership on the grounds of freedom of association.
posted by Trevor Loudon at
7/10/2007 11:49:00 AM
3 Comments:
Mike Heine? Is that oompa loompa still around? I suppose he´s taking 10 years to complete his BA, just like his elder brother.
Ironic that when it comes to sponging off the government, no one does it better than the Heine brothers.
Hate to put a little hole in Student Choice's spin on this but the OUSA position as stated by Renee Heal, Dan (forget his second name) former Treasurer in Critic and elsewhere is that OUSA should remain compulsory. So no its not a policy change, the exec have however taken steps to safeguard against any such moves as Heather's, ie rebranding , financial reserves. Its more a backup plan, not an actual direction the union is heading in.
And the last time there was a referendum at UO on this it failed by a significant margin. Plus I don't really think Heather's bill has much chance.
Oh and if you dont want to contribute to OUSA, you can have the levy (a measly $150 ) given to a charity i think.
"Firstly, I find it abhorrent that anyone should be forced to join or fund an organisation against his or her will."
What about bodies such as professional organisations like the Law Society or the NZ Medical Council, by choosing to enter into that profession, you invariably tie yourself to paying registration fees or certification costs. Providing people are informed, having to join a union when you choose to go to uni is not unrealistic or a brutal violation of freedoms especially when it costs so little and is pretty good value.
"Secondly, students associations are a stronghold of the far left and as such are training grounds for future enemies of freedom."
What grounds do you have to justify this ?
OUSA is mainly a service based organisation:
sports, media, entertainment, food, clubs and societies, student gym, student job search, foodbank, class reps etc. take up a vast proportion of its time and are completely apolitical.
The only sense in which it is political is that it provides some advocacy services (mostly for housing) and makes some submissions on the student loan scheme.
Failing to see the vast indoctrination, subverting democracy and brainwashing here though the sausages they hand out could be laced with left wing mind control drugs I suppose.
'.. having to join a union when you go to uni is not unrealistic or a brutal violation of freedoms especially when it costs so little and is pretty good value."
Your argument is entirely subjective.
Another's business is nothing to do with you. Where's the justification in forcing someone to do something against their will? Their refusal to join the union in no way prevents you from doing so, so where's the problem?
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