Compulsory student union membership to be abolished from July 2010

In order to ensure that the student unions can continue their work, including ensuring student influence in educational institutions, a system of state contributions will be introduced for the proposed voluntary unions.

Student unions, including the tradtional student associations ('Nationerna') that play an important role at universities in Uppsala and Lund, will also be exempted from tax, in order to ensure the continuing operation of these organisations.

"I believe that voluntary student unions have the ability to recruit many members. Together with the state contribution and the tax exemption the unions have great potential to continue to fulfil their important mandate," says Lars Leijonborg, Minister for Higher Education and Research.

"Mandatory membership of the student associations was introduced in the 1600s and it is high time that the system was retired," said Leijonborg.

The proposal in brief:

• Membership in the student union becomes voluntary
• Student groups may be given the status of a student union by the university or university college's board of dire0hin the area in which the student union operates shall have the right to become members, and (3) all members should have the right to vote in elections to the highest governing body.
• Student unions continue to have the right to be represented in university or university college decision-making bodies. In cases where there is more than one union, the unions must first agree among themselves as to the how this representation should be organised. If they cannot agree the university's board of directors will take the decision as to how places should be allocated.
• In order to ensure continued student influence the government is to make a contribution to the student union of SEK 105 per student per year. The cost of this measure for the second half of 2010 will be SEK 20 million. For 2011 this figure will rise to SEK 30 million. The value of the union's tax-free status is estimated to be at least SEK 15 million per year.

"This is a much-needed fresh start for the student unions. Now, they must be creative and demonstrate to students that there is a point of being a member of a student union," says Lars Leijonborg in a press release.

Link to the government's documentation on the proposal:
www.regeringen.se/content/1/c6/12/32/79/8f4b239e.pdf

Text: Per Larsson/PP