We won’t be the lost generation
The bosses and their politicians intend to create a lost generation of young people that will pay for the economic crisis by being CON DEMned to joblessness, losing the right to a decent education and exploited as cheap slave labour. Young people have no option but to get active and fight for a future.
The International Labour Organisation August report showed youth unemployment rising on every continent. Scotland, with a higher rate of unemployment than the UK average is no different. The STUC in April found that youth unemployment is at its highest since devolution with an average of nine young JSA claimants for every job. Scotland is blighted with deserts of joblessness with youth unemployment in areas such as East Lothian increasing by 158% in two years.
For unemployed youth leaving school months and years are passing by without any prospect of work. In two thirds of Scottish local authorities long term unemployment has increased in 2010 (August 2010 ONS figures).
The cruel ruthless CON DEM government is massacring jobs in the public sector and launching an assault on benefit claimants.
Young people face homelessnesses and poverty from the recent attacks on housing benefit. Tory ministers want youth who are out of work or education to be forced on “voluntary” work schemes threatening to cut benefits for those who refuse.
If this is implemented a campaign on the scale of the successful struggle (led by Socialist Party Scotland’s predecessor the Militant) against Thatchers “Youth Training Schemes” in the mid 1980’s which involved thousands of school students taking strike action in cities such as Glasgow should be built by Youth Fight for Jobs with the support of the trade unions.
Youth Fight for Jobs fights for real job creation schemes and training with trade union rights and the guarantee of a permanent job. We fight for an increase in benefits to cover the full cost of living for young people.
The politicians claim the anaemic growth in the economy will mean the private sector will fill the gap in jobs slashed from the public sector and provide work for young people.
In reality in Scotland large workplaces that offered skilled jobs and training to school leavers up to university graduates are threatened with closure a recent example being Real Time Worlds video game manufacturer in Dundee.
Young people who face the most precarious conditions and are most vulnerable to attacks from the bosses need to organise in the trade unions to fight for their rights in the workplace.
New Labour’s axemen began the cuts in higher education but the Con Dem government have taken a chainsaw to universities. University managements in Scotland continue to slash budgets and plead poverty wringing their greedy hands for tuition fees to be reintroduced.
While they are happy to offer up courses, jobs and student places for the axe they are pursuing lucrative expansion projects with universities such as Heriot Watt opening campuses in the far east.
The SNP’s report into public spending recommended that Scottish students be charged as much as English students (at present £3,000 a year) . Already despite not paying upfront fees Scottish students and graduates are burdened by debts that are due to the Graduate Endowment, Loans and longer course system.
In England the fees system will be reviewed in October 2010, the CON DEM government is likely to recommend an increase or the implementation of an elitist graduate tax leading to the exclusion of working class young people from university. The Scottish government will come under pressure to make students pay more by taking similar measures.
build mass resistance
Socialist Students argue this must be met with mass resistance in a campaign of mass action including student strikes and occupations and nationally co-ordinated non payment. We fight for publicly funded free university education with living grants for all students.
The anti youth cuts agenda of the Con Dem government and the SNP will not be accepted. This autumn we fight back.
The Youth Fight For Jobs campaign, supported by six national trade unions, is active in workplaces and communities in organising young people. Socialist Students activists are leading the fight against cuts and attacks on education in the universities and colleges. Anti Cuts unions and campaigns in local areas must take up the issues and struggles effecting young people.
Young people will be pushed into revolt by having the chance of a decent future blocked by policies of the bosses politicians and the crisis of capitalism. If socialists, fighting trade unions and campaigns like Youth Fight For Jobs are not present to organise the anger and frustration of youth their anger could be used by divisive forces such as the far right racist SDL.
As well as fighting for decent jobs and free education young people need to fight to change the world. Capitalism in crisis will fail this generation.
Socialist Party Scotland is building support for socialism among young people. Join us!
