The first Union Council meeting of this semester took place tonight; The main items on the agenda were:

1) Bar Situation.

Unless you've been dead for the last few weeks, you'll have noticed the bar has closed. Why ? Well, they closed because all the bar staff resigned. What's being done about it ? Well, Today, SIPTU held a ballot proposing industrial action over the issue, and we're waiting to hear the result of that. The SU has two representatives on what's called the Bar Management Committee, which is responsible for the overall running of the Bar. However, it's a bit of a quagmire 'cause the University has the majority share of the committee, accounts aren't being furnished when they are looked for, and the college company, Campus Property is also involved, so the water is pretty muddy. Naturally this means that questions like, will they turn the bar into a Franchise, or will they hire another manager, and if so which of the short listed candidates will get the job etc. etc. - These issues are all being delayed / clouded. However, we're trying to get the bar open. In the short term, the objective is to have it open for rag week. Also, we're looking at having the building open, with no beer or anything like that, just so that people and especially smokers will have somewhere to go and eat their lunch etc. Also, we're looking at having a bar EGM. More details on this as I get them.

2) Union of Students in Ireland Congress.

The USI is turning into a bit of a joke, IMHO at least. Many universities have already left, and as you may know, UCD are about to. The questions of What's going wrong ? and How do we fix it ? must be given serious consideration.

The annual USI congress is coming up, and the DCU SU is (co)-proposing the following motions, which we hope will go some way towards solving the many problems in the USI.

1. Structural Reform. The current structural organisation of the USI would be a bit too detailed to explain in this short message, (...If people want to find about USI structure, there's a leaflet up on the info-racks outside the SU offices..) It's the opinion of DCU-SU however that too much effort is being directed into what are essentially peripheral issues, and we feel that the time, money and effort involved could be better spent dealing with actual student issues. Education, Welfare, Grant s etc. Given that UCD have left the USI, and taken their £40,000 p.a. with them, we feel that some remaining money needs to be diverted away from those peripheral issues. To this end we're proposing a motion that the positions of LGB ( Les, Gay, and Bi ) Rights Officer, Womens Rights Officer, and Union Development Officer. be abolished, their functions subsumed into Welfare and the Vice-President's offices and the money we save should instead be channelled into two new Research Posts. These Research Officers are badly needed, because local SU's just can't keep track of Department of Education statements, Higher Education Authority policies, Ministerial announcements, Government White Papers, Green papers etc. Not to mention actual legislation, or County Council / VEC policy shifts. The new research officers will be able to keep track of information, deal with local SU queries and help the USI to be far better informed, and hence more efficient.

2. Study Group. The recent loss of the UCD-SU from the USI will cause problems. Not to mention the problems caused by the other universities which have disaffiliated. It's not exactly clear that the actual effects, in terms of USI performance, is realised by the Union. I n order to better deal with the consequences of falling membership, we're proposing that a group be set up to determine what the impact of a local union joining or leaving the USI actually is.

3. Abortion and USI. USI has traditionally been Pro-Choice in it's abortion stance. This causes two major problems. A; High-court, Supreme-court, and European Court cases cost a not inconsiderable amount of money. Money that USI can no longer afford. B. The pro-choice stance is highly divisive. The USI is completely split over the issue of abortion. Furthermore, students are equally divided, and yet the USI purports to speak for all students. We're proposing that the USI should no longer take any stance on the issue of abortion. Individual Unions can have their own policies, and if students feel strongly about the subject they can go off and join a political party or a lobby group or whatever they want to do. Abortion is not a 'student issue' and we don't think the USI should have anything to do with it. As far as abortion information goes, there's no real difference between the stance of the USI and the various health boards. We feel it's a waste of money to be printing up batches of leaflets / flyers / posters, when other professional / government agencies, can do the job much better. So, we're proposing the USI doesn't spend it's money in cases where they'd only be attempting to replicate what's already being done elsewhere.

4. Socio-political Issues There are a raft of issues that are brought up by delegates to the USI Congress, like human rights abuses in East Timore etc. that we feel are a complete and utter waste of time and effort, in terms of USI involvement. We're not saying that they aren't laudable issues, but frankly the USI can't do anything about them, and we're only wasting our breath. We feel that the USI shouldn't run campaigns on these issues, and we're putting a motion down to that effect.

3) Rag Week.

Rag week is coming up, more details in a while, but one thing I would like to ask people about is money. Specifically, it's traditional that the SU donate profits from Rag Week to some worthy charity. If anyone wants to suggest a particularly worthy organisation, please drop me a line ASAP.

4) Executive Elections.

The SU is organised in terms of a Union Council made up of class reps and the SU officers, who are directly elected. These elections are due to take place on the 11th and 12th of March. There are two full time ( paid ) positions, President and Vice-Pres., as well as a few part time offices, like our own Welfare Officer for example. All these jobs are up for grabs in March, and nominations are open from now until the 26th, and anyone can run for any position. There are posters up around the HG with the details. Nomination forms are available outside the SU offices, so if anyone is interested in becoming an SU officer, get on yer bike, and start peddlin'.

Well, that's the most important few points. The next Union Council meeting takes place surprisingly quickly, on Tuesday next, the 17th of Feb at 6pm. You don't have to be a class rep, anyone can attend.

That's it for now,

Jonathan Walsh.