Socialist Students helps force NUS to back education strike

From: http://socialiststudents.org.uk/wp/?p=985

The National Union of Students’ NEC voted “to stand in complete solidarity with workers taking strike action” in the December 3rd strike in higher & further education. Employers must now face education workers & students united as the dispute over pay and equality enters its 4th month. The motion passed, (see below) contained a number of mandates for NUS to carry out in the build up to the strike (though disgracefully, the clearest language calling for students not to cross picket lines was removed by Labour Students). It’s now vital that we maintain this pressure and use the NUS support to help organise students to turn out on the picket lines and bring solidarity. We should also put pressure on students unions to make sure that joint student union, trade union campus meetings that the motion called for are carried out. Socialist Students and NUS NEC member Edmund Schluessel, who submitted the motion, said, “education workers and students are natural allies. I hope this is the start of a long partnership against austerity & in the fight for an education system free at the point of use.”

NUS’s national executive also supported Socialist Students’ policy calling for nationalisation of the energy industry and tighter controls on rents and landlords. Labour Students showed themselves to be in the minority of society who opposes cheaper, more efficient, democratically-controlled public services. As NUS prepares to intervene in the 2015 general election, it should listen to its members and help build a new mass party of the working class that serves the interests of students, not bosses.

Emergency Motion passed by NUS NEC
proposed by Socialist Students member, Edmund Schluessel

NEC believes
• People who work for our universities, from lecturers to library staff, are taking strike action on 3 December. This is the second day of strike action that has been organised this term by the trade unions UCU, Unison and Unite
• The strike has been called over a 1% pay offer, which represents a real terms wage cut. This comes after many years of declining wages. Academic staff have seen a real-terns pay cut of 13.8% since 2009
• Many of the workers taking part in action will also tell you that their reasons for striking include ever increasing work-loads, low-pay, casualistion, zero-hour contracts, bullying and discrimination
• Many students are among those who will be striking, including the many thousands who rely on teaching and part time work to continue their studies
• The strike on 31 October drew wide support from students, many of whom joined rallies and pickets in support of those on strike.

NEC further believes
• The issues the strike relates to directly affect students. Under-paid, overworked and undervalued staff are never going to be able to give students the best possible help and support, however dedicated they may be
• This strike is part of both the fight to defend education and to beat back the brutal austerity policies that are seeing jobs destroyed, living standards decimated and the future for the next generation snatched away
• Strikes are the most powerful weapon working people have to fight to change things for the better – they demonstrate the huge potential power of workers
• For Students, this strike may be a minor inconvenience in the short-term, but the long term damage that’s being done to education will have far more detrimental effects if it goes unchallenged

NEC resolves
• To stand in complete solidarity with workers taking strike action in our universities
• To produce a leaflet for distribution on campuses, explaining why students should support strikes and attend picket lines to bring support and solidarity
• To make the campaign to support the strike a top item on the NUS website and use social media networks to publicise it
• To write to all students unions advising them to host joint public meetings with campus trade unions in the run up to the strike to attempt to raise awareness of the issues

Socialist Students petition supporting the strikes, you can use it on the picket lines and before the strike! http://www.scribd.com/doc/185991444/Socialist-Students-support-the-strikes-petition

Socialist Students leaflet for the strike http://www.scribd.com/doc/185990396/another-Socialist-Students-support-the-strikes-leaflet , this one already includes a public meeting ideahttp://www.scribd.com/doc/185990396/another-Socialist-Students-support-the-strikes-leaflet

Socialist Students strike poster http://www.scribd.com/doc/185990587/another-Socialist-Students-support-the-strikes-poster , and the public meeting on this one toohttp://www.scribd.com/doc/185990502/Socialist-Students-support-the-strikes-poster

Socialist Students original motion can be found herehttp://socialiststudents.org.uk/wp/?p=944

Austerity Games highlights plight of young people

From: http://www.youthfightforjobs.com

As the world’s eyes focus on the Olympics, one of the greatest events in the sporting calendar, young people and trade unionists from across the country arrived on Hackney Marshes, east London, to compete in the alternative Austerity Games.

Despite Hackney council’s over-zealous banning of the games, closing the toilets and café and locking the car-park gates, the games were a huge success.

The council’s attitude is just another example of what has been widely recognised as an officious clampdown on protest and extreme levels of security and protection of corporate sponsorship for the London 2012 Games.

The example of the bagel shop, swooped on for getting into the Olympic spirit and arranging bagels in the shape of the Olympic rings, shows the lengths these drones will go to to protect the likes of Coca-Cola, Samsung and Visa.

Free from the corporate restraints of the nearby high security-fenced Olympic park, wearing and drinking anything of their choice, the Austerity athletes lined up to highlight the plight of young people in Britain today.


Read the rest of the article, with more pictures: http://www.youthfightforjobs.com/wordpress/wordpress/?p=523

Bristol Anti-Workfare Protest - this Saturday

Organised by Bristol Youth Fight For Jobs:

http://www.facebook.com/events/206377172809584/

"Bristol has seen two successful days of action, highlighting the use of workfare to provide free labour. Youth Fight for Jobs have organised another. This time it will be a static protest, campaigning outside one of the companies using the workfare schemes. We will meet in the centre of Broadmead at 1pm (by the Ferris Wheel/BHS) before going to the shop in question."

ITN report on Youth Fight For Jobs workfare protest

Good video footage of today's protest against Workfare organised by Bristol Youth Fight For Jobs. Well done to the comrades involved - report can be viewed here but won't stay online long:


http://www.itv.com/westcountry-east/

Bristol Day of Action Against Workfare

With the support of Bristol Youth Fight For Jobs, see event on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/events/131728820283870/

On the 3rd of March, anti-cuts groups across the country are organising coordinated protests against the Government's slave-labour workfare programme. This page is for everyone who will be in Bristol on that day. If you want a part in the organisation, get in touch.

The plan is to start outside BHS (next to ferris wheel) at 13:00 and set off on a tour of many of the nearby workfare businesses, briefly stopping outside each shop, making some racket, and moving on to the next (route to be added shortly) before moving on to a rally on Castle Park (unfortunately the Green is bordered off).

Jarrow march 2011 video shown at Socialism 2011

Thousands mark end of Jarrow March

From: http://jarrowmarch11.com/2011/11/07/thousands-mark-end-of-jarrow-march/

On Saturday 3,000 joined the Jarrow marchers in London to celebrate the end of the 330 mile march. There was overwhelming support from the crowd who had travelled from all over the country. Coaches of workers, students, pensioners and unemployed people arrived at Embankment. We were even joined by 106 year old Hetty Bower who had welcomed the original marchers when they arrived in London 75 years ago. Hundreds clapped and cheered the lively demonstration into Trafalgar Sq. Trade unionists, campaigners and marchers supported the marchers from the platform of the rallies.

The Jarrow marchers would like to thank everyone who has helped make the march a success and supported the march in anyway. The march is over but the fightback against the Con-Dems and their cuts has only just begun. We hope to see you all at the Youth Fight for Jobs meetings around the country over the next few weeks and on the picket lines and demonstrations to support the strikes on 30 November.

Jarrow 2011 Demonstration - Saturday 5 November, 12 noon

The Jarrow marchers have been marching for 5 weeks against youth unemployment.

WE WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO

• Create jobs
• Bring back EMA & scrap uni fees
• Save youth services
• Scrap workfare
• Build affordable housing

Welcome the marchers to London at the end of their 330 mile journey

Saturday 5 November, 12 noon @ Embankment, marching toTrafalgar Square

Speakers will include:

Matt Wrack FBU General Secretary
Bob Crow RMT General Secretary
Chris Baugh, PCS Assistant General Secretary

Paul Murphy MEP Socialist Party Ireland
Lizi Gray Great-grandaughter of 1936 marcher
Stephen Hepburn MP for Jarrow
US Occupy Wall Street Activist
Jarrow marchers
Day-Mer Youth
Socialist Party
Young Deacon performing his rap about the riots called ‘Failed by the System’
Ed Marsh NUS
London Slutwalk Activist
Maddy Carty performing her track ‘CONDEMn AGE’
Dennis Skinner MP for Bolsover
+ More!

Transport from Bristol is £5 with coaches leaving From Anchor Broad, (opposite @Bristol) at 8.30am. Contact Tom Baldwin for more info on 07986951527

Visit  www.jarrowmarch11.com/5-nov-march-details

Jarrow March 2011 Events - Marchers visiting Bristol this weekend

As has been covered on this blog, Youth Fight for Jobs have organised a recreation of the Jarrow Crusade of 75 years ago, marching from Tyneside to London to highlight the issues of youth unemployment and education cuts, including the removal of the EMA and the trebling of university tuition fees. This march has got a lot of national press coverage, including an endorsement from The Fonz on the One Show (available to watch here).

 

Jarrow marchers are visiting Bristol this weekend and there are several events organised while they are here. Please come along to show your support for an event that is making the ConDem government squirm by proving that youth unemployment cannot be ignored. We won't have a lost generation!

 

Fundraising Gig

Sunday 23rd Oct, 8pm. Grain Barge, Mardyke Wharf, Hotwells, BS8 4RU. Entry £5.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=223703481020168#!/event.php?eid=176981545714427

 

Public Meeting

Monday 24th October, 7pm. City of Bristol College (College Green campus), St George's Road, BS1 5UA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=223703481020168#!/event.php?eid=177105689035605

 

National Demonstration

The end of the Jarrow march will be marked by a national demonstration in London on Saturday 5th November. Coaches will be going from Bristol, leaving 8.30am from Anchor Road (opposite @Bristol). Contact Tom Baldwin on 07986951527 to book a place.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=223703481020168

BBC Report: Unemployed march from Jarrow to London

Please see this excellent interview on the BBC yesterday

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15275853

"Matt Whale from Hull explained the five demands of those taking part in a march to highlight unemployment, claiming "we have absolutely no future at the moment". He spoke to Jo Coburn from the protest - recreating the 1936 Jarrow March - which had reached the Rotherham area in South Yorkshire on the day UK unemployment rose by 114,000 between June and August to 2.57 million, a 17-year high, according to official figures."

Guardian article on Jarrow March 2011

Jarrow's 2011 marchers take the long road to an uncertain future

75 years after the original crusade for jobs, young people are again taking their protest from the north-east to Westminster

Esther Addley on the A167, guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 5 October 2011 20.49 BST
Four days and barely 45 miles into the trek, Ben Robinson could already boast of having learned some new skills. Another marcher who was acting as the group's unofficial medic had had to duck out, "but thankfully she trained me up in foot doctoring before she left". He had already had to apply a butterfly ("where the blister is between the toes, and you have to cut the plaster") and an armadillo ("it's a way of applying the tape so you don't get more blisters – it's more technical than you think").

Most grateful for his skills was Bobbie Cranney, 26, from Newcastle, who had had to take the support minibus for a day or two, to her enormous frustration, so bad were her blisters. She was hoping to be back on the road when she could, she said, though she'd have to nip home in a day or two to sign on....

Also read the Jarrow march daily blog here: http://jarrowmarch11.com/

Excellent coverage of Jarrow March 2011 in Mirror

Jarrow March 2011: Kevin Maguire on the road for historic repeat

by Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror 3/10/2011
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/maguire/2011/10/03/jarrow-march-2011-kevin-maguire-on-the-road-for-historic-repeat-115875-23462922/#ixzz1ZhtA9yQa

THE 330-mile walk for work from Tyneside to London is history repeating itself for James Allison. The retired labourer was a young boy when he skipped alongside his dad, also called James, one of the marchers on the 1936 Jarrow Crusade. He was also there, 75 years on, to watch a group of young people leave town in the footsteps of the most famous protest trek of them all.

“I was going along, holding my dad’s hand,” he recalled. “And one of the others grumbled that I was putting them out of step.”

Now 84, Mr Allison went on: “It was terrible in the 1930s during the Depression. Everybody was out of work up here, you had no money and you were always hungry.

“I went to school in my bare feet and drank out of a jam jar – you couldn’t pour in hot water or it’d crack. If you had a chair, you had to sell it before you got help from the unemployment board.”

Nobody claims the jobless are as badly off today as the means-tested destitute of 1930s Depression Britain. Half of a poverty-stricken Jarrow was out of work and struggling to stave off malnutrition. Yet there are signs the great British public is stirring. As the procession makes its way round town, with a brass band near the front, shoppers applaud, bus drivers toot their horns and lunchtime drinkers spill out of the pub to watch. Ordinary people are increasingly resentful of the unjust austerity of Tory Cameronomics.

One in every 10 workers in North East England is dumped on the dole. Youth unemployment at just over one in five is at a record national high. The dreams of young people are destroyed by education cuts and £9,000 university fees. Insecurity is terrorising workers; plummeting living standards the curse of a growing number of families. Those in work, such as the cleaners on the minimum wage at Tyneside’s Metro, risk losing their paid meal breaks.

Yet at this week’s Tory conference in Manchester, our Government of millionaires will blame the jobless for their plight. A big stick will be waved at the jobless while big tax cuts are dangled before the wealthy. Lizi Gray, the great granddaughter of another of the original marchers, will walk parts of the route between studying at college. The 17-year-old, from nearby Gateshead, explained: “If you go to university you’ll be saddled with a huge debt that you might never be able to pay it off.

“Is that what we want? Britain’s getting unfairer, more unequal. It doesn’t have to be like that. This march is about an alternative.”

About 30 marchers will cover all or most of the miles, compared with the 200 three-quarters of a century ago. Unemployed chef Rhys Harris, from Pontypridd, South Wales, intends to take a few days off to watch Cardiff play Burnley in the fourth round of the Carling Cup.

I’m pretty sure that didn’t happen in 1936.

Trainers and blue T-shirts have replaced hobnail boots and oilskins. The elderly may also be amused to learn they will take five weeks compared with the four weeks of the originals. Indeed, I heard the first jokey, “Are we nearly there yet?” in the very first mile.

The route, however, is broadly similar to that followed in the year of Edward VIII’s abdication. Last night the marchers were due to reach Durham and then on to London by way of Harrogate, Sheffield, Leicester, Coventry, Northampton and Luton before a rally in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, November 5.

Youth Fight for Jobs, the group behind the trek, is an offshoot of the Socialist Party, formerly part of the Militant Tendency, which Neil Kinnock devoted much energy in the 1980s to expelling from the Labour Party. Half a dozen unions including the biggest, Unite, PCS civil servants and RMT rail workers back the march.

On Saturday, I addressed a rally alongside trade unionists to send the walkers on their way on Saturday. Dave Nellist, the ex-Labour MP kicked out over his Militant links, has lost none of his combative rhetoric. Now a Socialist Party councillor in Coventry, he warned that smashing windows and rioting will achieve nothing. Even Mr Cameron may agree with that sentiment – if not Mr Nellist’s call for revolutionary action to overthrow the Tories.

Having grown up on South Tyneside, I can attest to the hold the Jarrow Crusade has on the town. It’s as much a part of the North East’s identity as the soaring Angel of the North or the magnificent Tyne Bridge. Local lad Stephen Hepburn, Jarrow’s Labour MP, was inspired as a kid by tales of the marchers. In 2001, on the 65th anniversary of the Crusade, he unveiled “The Spirit of Jarrow” statue to honour the marchers.

It’s outside Morrisons – not a spot art snobs would pick. But it guarantees a daily audience for Hepburn’s predecessor “Red Ellen” Wilkinson, two banner-carrying marchers and a couple of kids running alongside.

“We’ve massive local pride in the Jarrow Crusade,” Hepburn told me. “But it’s more than a piece of history. It’s a warning about what the Tories will do, turning their backs on the unemployed. And a rallying cry to good people everywhere to stand up and be counted.”

History has repeated itself too for pensioner Emma Madsen. Back in 1936, when she was a jobless teenager, she stood near Jarrow Town Hall to cheer the leaving marchers.

Fast forward to 2011 and the former barmaid was in Jarrow Park, curious to see this group. “Everybody was much poorer than today,” she remembered. “But good luck to them. At least they’re having a go.”

Then, with a twinkle in her eyes, she showed Jarrow’s true grit. “I might have gone with them if I had the legs,” she said. “As it is, I’d have just slowed them up.”

I’m not so sure, although she is 94.

Jarrow March 2011 sets off!

Hundreds of people rallied and marched through Jarrow today ahead of setting off to London. Representatives from the PCS & RMT unions joined the marchers and spoke in support of the campaign against youth unemployment. Kevin Maguire of the Daily Mirror addressed the rally alongside Lizi Gray whose great-grandfather was on the original 1936 march. The march set off with the RMTs brass band and received fantastic support from local people as it passed.
A daily report and pictures to be posted here: http://jarrowmarch11.com/

The march has received a huge amount of coverage in the national and local media.

The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/9873893

BBC report here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-15135644

The BBC have even been encourage to look back at the historic Jarrow March, here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9604000/9604857.stm

Jarrow March: Council levies £2500 on unemployed protest

Urgent press release, for immediate use - ‘Jarrow March’ council want to charge young, unemployed people £2,500 to re-enact march 75 years on

Paul Callanan, Youth Fight for Jobs, National Organiser says: “This is an outrage. South Tyneside council, which has the original Jarrow March banner and petition on proud display is demanding that young, mainly unemployed people, pay £2,500 to re-enact the march. What the council is essentially trying to do is put a price on democracy. YFJ has organised many protests and demonstrations and this is the first time a council has demanded money for road closure.
This comes just over a month after the inner cities were rocked by a wave of youth riots. You would think that the council would take a more sympathetic stance towards young people wanting to peacefully march for a future. How are young people, many of whom are on the dole or are students being forced to pay sky high fees, supposed to pay this extortionate fee?
This is a threat to right to protest for all working class and young people. I have been told that I need to pay £2,500 for road closures in Jarrow on the opening day. I am personally liable for this fee. If South Tyneside council get away with this today what happens to trade unionists, students, youth and anti-cuts campaigners who want to protest against vicious ConDem austerity. Whatever happens Youth Fight for Jobs  will be marching from Jarrow this Saturday, with huge support from local people and trade unions. We will campaign against any attempt to charge us for doing so ”

We urge people to register their complaints with the council at customerhelp@southtyneside.gov.uk or see the councils complaints page http://www.southtyneside.info/applications/2/corporatefeedback/default.aspx?formtype=complaint or phone 0845 1450 100

Youth Fight for Jobs was launched in 2009 in response to sky high youth unemployment. We now have the backing of the PCS, RMT, Unite, UCU, CWU, Bectu, TSSA trade unioon.

For more info contact www.youthfightforjobs@gmail.com
Log on www.youthfightforjobs.com or jarrowmarch11.com

Daily Mirror shows support for Jarrow March 2011

Kevin Maguire, columnist with the Daily Mirror, has praised the organisers of Youth Fight For Jobs the Jarrow March 2011, which is setting off on 1st October and should arrive in London on the 5th November, to raise awareness about soaring unemployment and the Conservative-Liberal complicity in axing jobs, services and opportunities for young workers and students. This follows previous positive coverage in the Sunday Mirror.

Walking in the footsteps of the Jarrow marchersby Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror 21/09/2011
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/maguire/2011/09/21/walking-in-the-footsteps-of-the-jarrow-marchers-115875-23434822/#ixzz1YcCPqmTS

THE Jarrow Crusade, 75 years old next month, is an inspirational chapter in our country’s history.
In the Great Depression, 200 hungry and desperate jobless men went on a 300-mile walk for work to London. Tories and Liberals on Tyneside and along the route backed the 1936 protest which, unfashionable as it remains to say, was an utter failure. PM Stanley Baldwin refused to see them and ironically it was Hitler who saved the shipbuilding town, war requiring warships.
I wish the best of luck to the plucky young people who, a week on Saturday, begin walking in the footsteps of the Jarrow men. Nearly one in five young people are on the scrapheap. But this trek doesn’t have the support of the Cons. Cameron’s Big Society only has room for the successful and well-to-do.

http://jarrowmarch11.com

Workers and youth hold mass protest against racist EDL

Thousands of trade unionists, young workers and students, and anti-racist activists protesters gathered in Whitechapel, East London yesterday to protest against a threatened rally by the far-right English Defence League.

Racists were firmly driven out of this borough in 1993 thanks again to united action, but with poverty and unemployment on the rise, and the Tories whipping up fear and hatred against young people as a cover for their cuts and socially destructive agenda, the EDL felt bold enough to return.

However the protest organised in defence of the community, and in particular the action of the RMT union, have shown that these attempts are hitting the brick wall of working class organisation.

The Guardian reports on the action taken by the RMT, who made clear that they were not going to compromise safety by transporting the EDL on tubes to Liverpool Street as they originally planned. The Guardian also reports today that "staff at King's Cross station closed the entrance to the tube, preventing the majority of the EDL supporters gathered outside from travelling to the demonstration around Aldgate East tube for around half an hour".

The article also quotes Claire Laker-Mansfied, 22, of the campaign group Youth Fight For Jobs, said: "We should have the right to defend our community against racist thugs and their racist lies about jobs and housing."

Bristol Socialist Party is clear that only united mass action - linking up trade unionists, the unemployed, community groups and students - can defeat both the the far-right such as the EDL and BNP, and the equally sociopathic ConDem government.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/03/english-defence-league-london-demonstration

Video: Year of youth protests

Youth Fight For Jobs and Day-Mer Youth organise in Tottenham

By Martin Powell-Davies

A week on from the riots, 'Youth Fight for Jobs' and 'Day-Mer Youth' organised an excellent meeting in Tottenham last night to discuss the way forward for the community and local youth. The meeting was introduced by Steve Hedley from the RMT and Vik Chechi from Youth Fight for Jobs (YF4J) but, refreshingly, most time was left for those in the audience to give their own opinions.


Contributions from a wide range of ages and backgrounds all reached a similar conclusion - that youth had every reason to be angry but that rioting helped nobody. However, unlike the hypocritical condemnation being spouted by the press and politicians, everyone who spoke wanted to seriously reflect on why the riots had broken out and, crucially, suggest ways to help the youth and community productively organise action over the many grievances facing working people across all of London's communities.

Before the meeting, YF4J had held a protest against the closure of youth services by Haringey's Labour Council. Plans were outlined to organise further demonstrations to oppose council cuts in the future.

David Lammy, Tottenham's Labour MP, came in for strong criticism for his failure to explain the real grievances facing local people and for not speaking out against the cuts and the stop-and-search harassment suffered by local youth. Calls for community campaigns and trade unions to stand their own anti-cuts candidates in the London Assembly elections were applauded.

The vindictive sentences being handed out on rioters were contrasted with the 'looting' of our services and taxes by the wealthy - with Osborne now suggesting he will even abolish the 50p tax rate for the wealthy.

A local youth, Young Deacon, performed "Failed by the System" that has so much more to say about the riots than the demonisation of black youth being spouted by many of the tabloids. Have a look on:http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/ourkingdom/young-deacon-failed-by-system

Zoe, a young teacher, spoke at her anger about the way that youth were being scapegoated in the media and for the way many pupils were labelled as 'failures' at an early age. Others pointed out that the killing of Mark Duggan by the police, the incident that had sparked the riots in the first place, must not be forgotten. Youth Fight for Jobs have been calling for an independent trade-union and community led enquiry into his death.

Trade unionists also spoke about the need for unions to show a way forward by taking strike action against cuts and austerity - especially by continuing and extending the action against pensions in the autumn. Many present said they would be be attending the NSSN Rally and Lobby on September 11th to call on the TUC to organise co-ordinated strike action across the public sector. Nina Franklin, NUT President, will be speaking as well as Bob Crow from the RMT and Mark Serwotka from the PCS.

When teachers return to school in September, both teachers and school students will undoubtedly be discussing the shocking events of August. We certainly don't need lectures from the press, politicians and the powerful to follow their high moral standards!

Teachers, as ever, will be trying to offer genuine support and help to young people so that they can make the most of the opportunities open to them and not follow the dead-end of rioting. However, teachers and students alike will be increasingly asking what opportunities are really available to embrace the many talents of our youngsters? It's not enough for Ministers to condemn 'criminality', it is their responsibility to provide decent jobs, training and education for our school leavers.

http://electmartin1.blogspot.com/2011/08/youth-fight-for-jobs-organise-in.html

http://www.youthfightforjobs.com/

http://daymer.org/

Jarrow March 2011: Letter of Support from PCS DWP Young Members Committee

Below is the letter from the PCS DWP YMC:

The PCS DWP Young Members Committee fully supports the Jarrow to London march, organised by Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ), in October and November 2011. Our committee represents thousands of young workers in DWP and CMEC who deliver vital public welfare services. We welcome the important role that Youth Fight for Jobs has played in organising unemployed youth, young workers and students in fighting for a decent future. Futhermore, we welcome the historic decision taken by YFJ to organise a march from Jarrow to London on the 75th anniversary of the first Jarrow march.

PCS young members in the DWP are very familiar with the effects that unemployment can have on individuals and communities. We deliver a
public welfare service aimed at getting people into work and lifting people out of poverty. Unfortunately, our efforts are hampered by office closures, job cuts, and an under-staffed service. As young trade unionists, we also recognise that unemployment undermines the ability of working people to organise through trade unions to improve our lot in life. Employers are quick to point out that if you’re unhappy, there’s plenty of people worse off out there who would be
willing to replace you. The fight against unemployment and for decent jobs is a key trade union issue.

PCSyoung members in the DWP are grateful for the support of YFJ in our campaigns for decent working conditions in call centres,
fighting cuts in jobs, pay, redundancy protection and pensions, and for mpermanent jobs for staff on fixed-term contracts. We believe that it is a
national scandal that there are nearly 1 million young people out of work at the present time, and commend Youth Fight for Jobs in organising to highlight
this shameful situation. We will do whatever we can to promote, publicise and support the Jarrow to London March for Jobs.

In solidarity,

PCS DWP Young Members Committee

http://jarrowmarch11.com/

Youth Fight for Jobs: Jarrow marchers call for one combined demonstration on 5th November

http://jarrowmarch11.com/

Youth Fight for Jobs are recreating the Jarrow March on the 75th anniversary, and are bringing together students, unemployed workers, trade union members and activists in a demonstration on Saturday 5 November, assembling at Embankment at 11am.

The campaign was confused by yesterdays call by the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) to organise a separate demonstration on 9 November.

Leeds University Against the Cuts (LUAC) press spokesperson Ian Pattison said "I am confused as to why this call has been made. The march on 5 November has been publicly announced for 5 months and has received coverage in the Guardian and Independent.

"I announced this at the NUS conference and proposed that all student anti-cuts groups work together to build a united resistance to all the cuts, and campaign for a future for all young people, against the governments brutal measures.

"The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts backed this march at its recent conference.
"I am confused as to why yesterdays announcement to split the resistance was made without any consultation with student anti-cuts activists such as myself."

Ben Robinson, Chair of Youth Fight for Jobs, said "The recreation of the Jarrow march has the backing of six national trade unions, Unite, PCS, RMT, Bectu, TSSA, FBU and UCU.

"It also has the support of many student anti-cuts groups and individuals up and down the country who are marching, offering us accommodation, helping to organise the protest and so forth. Many of our members played leading roles in the student anti-fees protests. We hope that the NCAFC and EAN do not try to divide the resistance. We hope that we can get together and discuss with representatives from those groups so that we have one demonstration on 5 November that all activists can build for at the start of the new term."