Join the Scottish youth march for jobs

Over 100,000 16 – 24 year olds in Scotland are out of work. Colleges, schools and universities are being savaged by cuts. Thousands of young people are being exploited by big business through workfare schemes. The lack of affordable housing is condemning a generation, to living with their parents, renting from slum landlords, facing poverty and homelessness.

Politicians in Westminster, the Scottish Parliament and local councils implement cuts without regard to the effect on young people’s future.

Youth Fight for Jobs Scotland together with the PCS Young Members Network is organising a March for Jobs and Public Services against Austerity to highlight the conditions this lost generation face but also to put forward a fighting strategy of young people organising with the trade unions.

The march will begin at Stirling Castle on Wednesday 17th October and end by joining the mass demonstration called by the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) on Saturday 20th October in Glasgow. We aim to mobilise people for the STUC demonstration on route bringing people from workplaces, colleges and towns.

The March recreates a labour movement tradition going back to the 1920’s and 30’s of marches for jobs against mass unemployment, which is once again blight on Scotland’s communities.

In the autumn of 2011 the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign, with the support of the trade union movement, successfully recreated the 1936 Jarrow March (a group of young people, including some from Scotland, marched from Jarrow to London, participating in hundreds of local marches, meetings, rallies on route).

In every town the marchers passed through young people were inspired to get active and fight the cuts. The 2011 Jarrow March also raised the profile and relevance of the trade union movement amongst young people.

We believe a Scottish March for Jobs will have a similar impact and act as a rallying point for the struggle against the cuts in Scotland and as a mobilising tool for the important STUC demonstration on October 20th.

We aim to generate a massive amount of media publicity for the anti-austerity demands which we are sure will be supported by young people and trade unionists across Scotland.

We have been inspired by the struggle of the working class across Europe against austerity, the determination of the Greek people and the Spanish miners. We want to bring together the energy and anger of the lost generation seen in the Occupy and student movement together with the organising power of the trade unions.

If your young, unemployed, at school, college or university, in a workplace, unionised or unionised and angry contact us (see box above) to become a marcher.

So far we have had support from PCS, Edinburgh RMT and the STUC. Add your union branch or campaign to the list of supporters.

We are marching for our future – We want: 

•  An increase in public investment into a program of real job creation to create at least 100,000 jobs in Scotland through public works and fairly paid skilled apprenticeships. 
•  For these jobs to pay, as a minimum, the Scottish living wage of £7.20 an hour.
• The reversal of cuts to college courses. Fully funded grants for all students at university and college.
• The scrapping of slave labour workfare. All training schemes to pay the living wage and guarantee work on completion.
• The reversal of attacks on welfare and benefits. For all claimants to receive housing allowance that meets the cost of rents and JSA and other benefits to reflect the cost of living with no age exemptions.
• Stop all attacks on pensions. Increasing the pension age to 68 is unfair on older workers and steals job opportunities from young people.
• Massive public investment into a program of home building, renovation and ‘green’ technologies to provide work for the unemployed and affordable, housing for the next generation.

Join the Scottish March for Jobs and Public Services against Austerity

Stirling to Glasgow 17th-20th October

Contact Youth Fight for Jobs Scotland

to get involved, for info and to support the march

Email youthfightscotland@gmail.com

Twitter follow YFJ Scotland