SDGP abandon human rights

The Leader of the Opposition, Tamazoid has attacked the SDGP over plans to reintroduce compulsory student unionism.

"Well the Education Minister has let the cat out of the bag - in Question Time last night, he admitted to parliament that he intends to reintroduce Compulsory Student Unionism.

"As you'd be aware, it was The Conservatives who successfully passed the legislation to make student unionism voluntary.

"Now the Education Minister wants to violate the basic human rights of university students - the freedom of association.

The Education Minister said:
"The abolition of Voluntary Student Unionism. This measure, introduced by the former Edwards government, has hurt student representation on campus and has weakened their ability to work together and collectively protect their rights."

"The Education Minister should be ashamed of himself. Compulsory student unionism only leads to ineffective unions, which end up being nothing more than a cash cow for a few student politicians. One must wonder why the Education Minister wants to allow for endemic corruption by making student unionism compulsory. Obviously, the SDGP is concerned that the progressive reforms of The Conservatives force student unions to represent the interests of university students effectively, or else people won't pay to join them. More often than not student unions fail to serve students and instead are only a front shop for corrupt officials to embezzle money.

"I refer the Minister for Education to Article 20 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which clearly states people shall not be coerced into joining associations they do not wish to. The minister wants a return to the dark old days where universtiy students are threatened with being failed in their courses unless they pay their student union membership upfront and in full.

"Forcing student unionism on students is very much similar to conscription and communism.

"The SDGP have a record of turning their backs on people, and this list now extends to human rights and university students. A government that does not defend human rights is a government unfit to hold its position.