ASS recommends postponing student protests

The executive committee of Quebec student union associationASSis recommending student protesters delay their strike actions until afterthe summer.

In a four-page lettertoits members, the organization suggests a "strategic withdrawal" from an unlimited strike and planning largeractions with trade unions in the coming months.

The original plan was to launch the strike onApril 7.

"It is possible to ensure that non-renewal of the strike in the spring is not a failure, but rather a strategic retreat," says the letter.

ASSrepresents82,000CEGEPanduniversity-level students in 43member student unions throughoutQuebec.

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The executive committee wrote that itfears that an unsuccessful student protest movement now will hurtthe public sector workers preparing for possible strikes this fall.

"I think the idea of talking about the strategy of this fall is that we're also talking about the negotiations that are happening in the public sector also with the labour unions," saidASS spokespersonCamille Godbout.

The letter comes ahead ofASS's general assembly in Valleyfieldnext month. The executive committee says it's worried continuing strike action could be voted down at the meeting.

"We can't deny that it will be considered a defeat," wrote the committee.

The independent student protest group "Printemps 2015" was quick to criticizeASS for making the recommendation.

"Abandoning does not only mean putting an end to a movement hitherto unseen in terms of the radicalism of its demands and the autonomy of its forms, but most importantly means abandoning necessary struggles," says a post on the Printemps 2015 website.

"Being overtaken by its base should always be good news for a union, rather than a threat to the strategic plan of a paternalistic leadership."

ASS still plans to hold a province-wide strike on April 2.

However, the executive committeewill be holding ameetingthis weekendto decide on an official position.

Godboutsaidit is up to the individual student associations to decide when to strike.