In an open meeting the Kings College Student Union (Cambridge) has just
decided to support direct action taking the form of a rent strike, to
protest against the rent rises and the increased college costs that are
dumped on the students. The new Kings college provost Dame Judith Mayhew
Jonas, has just been appointed with a package of 25000 pounds to
decorate her room, and a salary increase of 50000 pounds. At the same
time student rents have risen in the last few years by approximately 30
% in real terms. Despite previous efforts from the students to negotiate
about rents, with access in mind, and to reduce college unnecessary
expenses no progress was made, and the college has consistently been
ignoring the recommendations.

The technicalities of the rent strike are being taken care of. A
committee of seven people has been voted in to coordinate the rent
strike and all other direct action that students are willing to take. A
bank account is being set up where the strikers will be paying their
full college bills and that can be used as a negotiating tool by the
committee and KCSU. Finally it was decided that rents being an issue
that concerns all students, the plans resulting from the negotiations
will have to be ratified in an open meeting.

A plea from the college to deal with the issue internally was received
by many students with skepticism. Why not using the most effective tool
in our hands? In the past all the issues with the college were resolved
as the national press got involved said a student in the meeting. It was
further pointed out that far from being an internal issue to Kings it
concerns all colleges in Cambridge that are increasing the charges they
levy from students. Consultation is usually the exception rather than
the rule when such changes in the charging scheme are implemented. The
increased costs, along with the fees, the lack of grants, student debt
and the threat of top-up fees are the barrier to access, not the
publicity about students' resistance.

The college has called rent striking an extreme way of putting pressure
or even the nuclear option. On the other hand many students expressed
the opinion that actually striking is one of the most moderate steps
that can be taken to even bring the college to the negotiating table.
Given the bad financial shape of the college, that is by the way partly
blamed on the stock market going down, students withholding their bills
might have a very direct effect on the running of the institution.

With Kings College having traditionally a very active student body, this
decision is seen as prophetic of more colleges taking action against
both increased costs and the overall plans for introducing top-up fees.
Generally many students are fed up with a general swing to the right
that is symbolized in Kings by the appointment of Dame Judith Mayhew
Jonas, the closure of student common spaces and events and the
disciplinary cases brought forward against four students associated with
a social center project last year.

The motion supporting the rent strike is appended.
If you need more information or want to send letters of support contact
Sarah (smhd2 at cam.ac.uk).