The bureaucracy worked thankfully in our favour, as the guillotine fell just before NUSSL representatives were going to take our motion to parts, which would of severely lessened the motions impact.
In result, the NUS is now mandated to providing a fair, non-corporate analysis of the situation, greatly increasing the chances of a full nationwide boycott in university unions.


Another motion, of less obvious significance, was to do with the restrictive nature of Ultra viries laws, which prevent unions, due to their charitable status, from spending resources in many ways. We struggled to pass, in parts, a motion which now allows the NUS to fund coaches up to Gleneagles, and any other way students want to mandate their unions. This greately reduces the shackles we have had to work under in our grassroots campaigns.
Needless to say, there was a fair bit of heckling brought out against the corporates!

In solidarity.


The motion:


Conference Believes:

1) A significant minority of Unions voted with Middlesex's resolution 3 to NUSSL AGM 2005.
2) An international boycott of Coca-Cola products was called by SINALTRAINAL on 22nd July 2003 after 8 members were murdered by paramilitaries.
3) In India, allegations have been made of malpractice
concerning Coca-Cola's distribution of contaminated solid waste to farmers as "fertilizer" and the excessive extraction of ground water, leading to drought and low crop yields.
4) Grassroots concern in Students' Unions regarding Coca-Cola is growing.
5) All current Coca-Cola contracts are up for renegotiation at NUSSL convention 2006.
6) NUSSL's E&E Committee is undertaking constructive engagement with Coca-Cola regarding the allegations.
7) NUSSL's deadline of January 2007 for Coca-Cola to meet recommendations that it is has made is after NUSSL Convention 2006.

Conference further believes:

1) Students are currently insufficiently informed regarding the charges against Coca-Cola.
2) An important debate will be had at NUSSL Convention 2006 regarding Coca-Cola contract renewals.
3) Students are at the forefront of the fair-trade and trade justice movements.
4) Whilst NUSSL's E&E Committee's role in constructive
engagement is valuable, the role of NUS is to engage with wider social issues that concern students.

Conference resolves:

1) To publicise the allegations against Coca-Cola and the findings of NUSSL's E&E Committee to all member unions.
2) To distribute material produced by the Columbia Solidarity Campaign, the Indian Resource Centre (IRC) and NUSSL's E&E Committee to all CMs.
3) To mandate NUS Environment Committee to research the validity of the Indian and Colombian allegations through engaging with stakeholders such as SINALTRAINAL and IRC and to work with student action groups such as People and Planet to publicise these issues on campus.
4) For NUS to follow advice from NUS Environment committee on the use of their share holding in NUSSL at NUSSL convention 2006 in relation to renewal of Coca-Cola contracts and Coca Cola's compliance with SINALTRAINAL's demands.