Youth Fight for Jobs launches apprentices’ rights campaign

With some of the lowest pay rates of any workers in the country, apprentices are at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis.

Rates for a first year apprentice start at a measly £4.81 an hour regardless of age. After paying for travel costs to work as well as lunches, you are unlikely to have enough left for a night out at the weekend, never mind have enough to move out of home and live independently! 

Many bosses will justify these scandalous pay rates by claiming that they also pay the costs of training, ignoring the fact that this training is usually heavily subsidised by the tax payer, via the Scottish Government, whilst making exorbitant profits off the backs of apprentices. 

Youth Fight for Jobs say that there is an alternative to accepting low pay, and that lies in apprentices joining trade unions and organising to fight for their rights!

Young apprentices are seen as a good source of cheap labour that can be replaced once your time is out if you step out of line and start to demand better pay, working conditions and an end to bullying from management. 

As individuals it is easy to victimise apprentices, however our strength lies in numbers. If apprentices organise collectively in a trade union – alongside our journeymen – and demand guarantees of a job upon completing an apprenticeship with trade union rates of pay, this can cut across any potential victimisation. 

Apprentices are usually the ones on the sharp end of bullying and harassment from management seeking to squeeze more profit out of you.

Union membership would mean that a union shop steward could accompany you in any meeting with management and make sure that bosses don’t take advantage of you by undermining your legal rights in the workplace. 

Youth Fight for Jobs organise in our workplaces, colleges and trade unions against all attempts by fat cat bosses to rip us off to line their own wallets.

We believe that apprentices are workers, and not mere learners, and are as entitled to job security, decent pay and terms & conditions as any other worker.

Youth Fight for Jobs will be organising protests at colleges and sites over the coming months demanding better wages and conditions for apprentices. Contact us today to get involved in the campaign. 

Youth Fight For Jobs demands: 

• Join a trade union! For trade unions to organise a mass recruitment drive of apprentices. 

• For a trade union led campaign to improve the pay, terms and conditions of apprentices. 

• JIB and CITB: Raise the rates! For an immediate increase in apprentice rates to the level of the 25+ minimum wage for all, as a step towards a real living wage for apprentices. 

• The rate for the job. Abolish youth rates of minimum wage! 

• A guarantee of a job upon completion for all apprentices. 

• Fight for a programme of public works to create thousands of apprenticeships and skilled jobs on trade union negotiated rates of pay. 

• For coordinated strike action for inflation busting pay rises! 

• Contact us – Phone: 07927342060 Email: youthfightscotland@gmail.com