What has happened to the student movement?

Is a very good question since two big demonstrations one a lot smaller and angrier than the last 2013 has been a somewhat quieter year for the students movement. Not being a student myself I look on from outside but the anger on tuition fees, lack of EMA, rental prices for students, cost of studying all haven’t gone away surely and the anger can’t have either. No doubt much of this lack of fight can be laid at the door of the NUS who have failed to mobilise students to defend education and mount a challenge to this rotten government. Socialist students which are affiliated to the socialist party have been doing excellent work on campuses up and down the country having our best year yet in terms of numbers. But our influence is still small. We will be putting pressure and calling on the NUS to organise a national demonstration this autumn very shortly. There have been small victories and incidents Sussex university had a fantastic demonstration with an occupation which was disgracefully evicted a while back now in protest over privatisation of the education system. Again NUS did not show up most students now are starting to fight without their own union of students this is a worry but not unsurprising given the role the NUS places with its pro labour party leadership and timid outlook. Recently a victory at Birmingham university has shown an example how students and workers when they unite can win victories even on a small scale and not totally resolved is a good start and shows we can win. Maintenance & support staff at University of Birmingham are celebrating near-total victory as university management have abandoned restructuring plans. 361 Hospitalist and Accomodation Services (HAS) staff faced compulsory redundancy, pay cuts and being forced to work anti-social hours under plans announced in March; the £407,000-a-year pay packet of the Vice-Chancellor would have been unaffected. The University also planned to force staff to work weekends and holidays for no extra pay. These plans have all been dropped and staff has won extra flexibility in setting their own schedules. Edmund Schluessel - NUS NEC-elect, UCU and Socialist Students Birmingham University Unison worked closely in partnership with the students’ union, Birmingham Guild of Students, to fight back against the cuts and job losses. Staff and students demonstrated together against university management on May Day, and, in a major show of solidarity, the Students’ Union put out a call for a national student mobilisation in support of the Birmingham HAS staff. In a statement, student campaigning group, Birmingham Defend Education, said, “This outcome demonstrates that protest and direct action work. Unions were negotiating on these issues behind the scenes for two months, whilst the University kept announcing further attacks. As soon as they started to sign up large numbers of new members and talk about strike action, and we sent our statement to David Eastwood, the University abandoned the majority of their attacks within two weeks. This also illustrates the power of students and staff when working together. We should remember that staff and students, not management, are what make the University work. If we recognise this, and the power that we have when we stop doing what we’re told, we can claim the conditions of work and study that we want to see.” The problem of low pay remains unresolved. Many maintenance staff at Birmingham and dozens of other universities is paid only the national minimum wage, while the university makes annual profits of nearly £30 million. Lecturers and other uni staff on the national pay spine have received real-terms pay cuts every year since 2009. The five-way consortium of university trade unions, consisting of UCU (lecturers), Unison, Unite, GMB (all support staff) and EIS (teaching trade union), are meeting with employers on the 21st to discuss the latest 0.8% pay offer. The five unions should unanimously reject the offer and prepare for national coordinated action to stop the pay cuts and job losses, and push the TUC (Trade Union Congress) to name the day for a 24-hour general strike against all the cuts. As an incoming Socialist Students member of the National Union of Students’ (NUS) executive I will push for NUS to learn from Birmingham students’ example and to give the fullest possible support to any action in defence of education and against the cuts. Once students come back after the summer there will be new angry students paying higher fees getting charged even more to live and get by. It’s a disgrace that the NUS would rather spend their time doing pointless survey’s and focus on the smaller issues not that they are not important but when our whole education system is at threat surely their priorities could be better placed. With socialist students getting its first member elected on to the NEC of the NUS in Edmund Schluessel we can now begin to gain influence beyond our own ranks. A statement put out by Edmund on socialist students website said that students need a voice and for too long the NUS has not represented the real views of students on the ground. Our aim is to turn the NUS into a fighting union to give students hope and an avenue to fight back in. Socialist student’s basic aims and demands are: What We Stand For Education  Abolish tuition fees. Write off student debt.  Restore EMA. Campaign for full living grants to cover the living costs of all students in post-16 education – including those at university.  No to higher and further education funding cuts. Defend every course, job and service.  No to academies and Free Schools.  For exam boards and all other privatised services to be taken back into public ownership – no repeat of this year’s exam mistakes fiasco!  Stop the marketisation and privatisation of universities in Britain. No to the government’s white paper and a two-tier Higher Education system. No university should be allowed to go to the wall!  Lift the cap on places and publicly fund the expansion of high quality higher education.  Build local anti-cuts campaigns and ‘Youth Fight for Education’ groups in every school, college and university, linked on both a regional and a national level.  Support action taken by education workers to defend their conditions and our education –their fight is our fight.  For the transformation of Students’ Unions into fighting organisations, with bottom-up democratic structures.  For a fighting NUS.  For education that is fully funded, publicly owned, democratically run and universally free at all levels – a socialist education system. Work and Welfare  Support the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign.  No to mass youth unemployment- for a decent job for all.  No to the government’s slave labour ‘workfare’ schemes. For decent training opportunities and apprenticeships for young people which pay at least the minimum wage, with a guaranteed job at the end.  No job losses in the public or private sector. When private bosses claim they can’t afford to maintain jobs, we say open the books. Let us see where the money has gone.  For nationalisation of companies threatening closure, under democratic control with compensation given on the basis of proven need.  Fight for a minimum wage of at least £8 an hour as a step towards a living wage.  No cuts to housing or other benefits.  End lower benefit rates for young people – for the right to Job Seekers Allowance at 16.  No to ‘workfare’ and slave labour internships. For decent jobs paid at least a minimum wage of £8 an hour.  Support the National Shop Stewards’ Network anti-cuts campaign which fights all cuts to jobs and services  The immediate re-opening of all youth services that have been closed, including reinstating sacked staff. Rights  Defend the right to protest. No to the victimisation of student protesters. For the right to organise in every school, college and campus.  No to ‘kettling’ and police violence on demonstrations.  No to racism, sexism, homophobia and all other forms of discrimination.  Fight the far-right racist BNP and EDL. Jobs, homes and services- not racism. Build mass campaigns to defend communities.  No platform for fascists in education.  Rape is never the victim’s fault. For a mass campaign against sexism.  No to reactionary attacks on women’s rights.  Defend and extend abortion rights.  No to the three main bosses’ parties. For a new mass workers’ party that fights in the interests of ordinary people. For International Solidarity and Socialism  For solidarity between working class and young people across the world.  Solidarity with the Arab Spring – No to western intervention – it is on behalf of big business and capitalism.  No to war and imperialist intervention. For the Immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.  End the siege of Gaza.  No to Trident nuclear missile replacement  Support the Sri Lanka Tamil Solidarity campaign – for the right of all people to self-determination.  No to environmental destruction. For a sustainable democratic socialist plan of production that won’t destroy the planet.  No to capitalism. For a socialist world, where the big monopolies are taken into public ownership, the economy is democratically planned and resources are used to meet the needs of all humanity. A campaign for students must start here. As terms are drawing to a close exams are being taken work must start now for action in the autumn to defend education and to fight for free education for the many not just the few.

Youth fight for jobs national meeting 10th June: organising the lost generation

Yesterday Sunday 10th of June at University London youth fight for jobs held its annual national meeting. What was originally titled as a steering committee meeting turned into a national meeting due to the size and demand of the tasks ahead of us. Also the turnout was fantastic.

A good number of young people students, trade unionists, young activists and all those who are not able to find work or afford education were present.
The meeting was kicked off with an excellent outline of the last year by Sarah Wrack of youth fight for jobs and the socialist party. Detailing the struggles young people face across the world not just in the UK with solidarity paid to those students battling bravely against fees and cuts in Quebec in Canada.

The first speaker was an international speaker Brandon Madson from occupies Minneapolis in the US. Brandon is young students who is finding education in the states very expensive and has in the last year got involved in occupy Minneapolis and the movement there has developed to defending people from being evicted from their homes. Brandon recounted some fantastic stories of protests to ensure the poor were not forced out of their homes. The potential for a mass campaign there could be huge as the banks are looking to make ordinary people who did not cause this economic crisis pay for the mistakes of the greedy bankers. How familiar does this sound ?

The occupy movement in the US has perhaps been a little different to others in other countries linking up a bit more with the labour movement and the local communities a bit better than perhaps other occupy’s around the world managed to do.

A really inspirational speech from Brandon was followed up by Ian Paterson a young youth fight for jobs organiser recently getting involved in the organisation side gave a brilliant outline of the current political situation facing us and how austerity is being rejected across the world wherever you look now from France to Greece and more recently in Britain. Although this has not manifested itself in to mass movements of workers and students just yet days like the 30th of November and the fantastic student demonstrations of 2010 cannot be forgotten.

Following Ian’s brilliant speech the floor was opened up for young people to come in and discuss whatever they had to say on big issues like workfare and their horrid experiences of this rotten scheme, students struggling to get by with rental accommodation going through the roof, with graduates struggling to even find voluntary work let alone paid work.

Time after time the meeting highlighted the real victims of this crisis young people who did not cause austerity and pain is being made to pay still. It was very moving to hear such real stories up close and real. It is one thing reading about these things online but another to speak to people involved and going through things like workfare which is effectively slave wage labour where young people especially are forced into unpaid work for the collection of their benefits if they do not they may have their benefits stopped.

The success of Youth fight for jobs was also highlighted with the fantastic Jarrow march in late 2011 talked of and how it opened up a new phase in YFFJ’s progression as the only young people’s organisation dedicated to working and building links with the labour movement and linking with workers in struggle. The brilliant backing the march got opened up new avenues for our organisation and can pave the way for bigger mass movements which are sure to follow.

Youth fight for jobs also played a leading role in the anti workfare protests while victories and u-turns have been forced out of this con-dem government we are keen to stress the schemes still exist and we have not won all out yet. The fight against workfare must continue and be stepped up with national days of action planned very soon.

One of the key announcements of the day and certainly the afternoon session on organisation and where we go from here introduced what we’re dubbing the “manifesto for the 99% an 18 page document detailing Youth fight for jobs’ demands and lists of examples how we can win. Things like an immediate reinstatement of EMA pointing to the two councils in the c country still paying young people EMA to encourage young people to stay in further education with a demand for decent public works with a living wage keeping in line with inflation and for an end to fees and all cuts. The document is far bigger and more detailed but is only in draft form at the moment. We will be launching the manifesto on the 28th of July with a proposed “austerity games” being organised for the day where the media will be about at the Olympic park in London. The austerity games will look to create a public stunt so the media can see that the Olympics is not for all of us and austerity is still here while the rich enjoy their games. More announcements on this too and how you can get involved will be announced shortly no doubt.

All in all today is not a good time to be a young person with little to no opportunities out there for us but with organisations like Youth fight for jobs going from strength to strength growing in numbers and influence all the time the future can be brighter for young people if we get organised and fight back with a desire to eventually change society to benefit the 99% with a socialist planned economy meeting the needs of the many.

If you enjoyed this blog and wish to find out more about Youth fight for jobs and the campaigns we’re involved in and have been involved in do please check out
www.youthfightforjobs.com

Solidarity with students walking out today fighting fees and cuts

Today is the long awaited walk out of students in colleges, schools and universities across the country. Announced by the NUS but poorly organised by the layers of bureaucracy of course.
I wanted to put up a message sending my solidarity and thoughts with all students walking out and taking action today. Whether you are walking out of classes, marching to a city/town centre or engaging in other forms of protests occupations etc.
In Harlow the socialist party went down to the local college earlier this morning to hand out leaflets on the day and our material offering an alternative. Youth fight for jobs and education fight for a return of EMA end to cuts and fees and free education for all as a right.

We don’t expect today to be a victory or a huge success due to the failure of the NUS to properly build for the day but socialist students and other comrades from the socialist party will be doing all they can to assist and lend support to students wishing to take action to defend education.

The campaign needs to be stepped up with further action needing to be called very soon the student movement needs that spark again and this day of action could be it if militant layers of students take control of the movement and push for further action.

Good luck to all those taking action today. Although I can’t be with you in person due to work commitments I’ll be there in solidarity with you all.

The "Youth of today"

It is tough growing up in the world today. The youth are under huge pressures now more than ever. With 1 million unemployed as we stand it is no wonder so many young people are angry about the situation they find themselves in.

Coupled with the fact next year the 9 thousand pounds a year of tuitian fees will be brought in. This as i have previously talked about on here will fule a new sense of anger in students as they look for alternatives and see very little.

The things that havent been discussed about the increase in tuitian fees is the added pressure that will go with that. The cut in higher education funding will affect the choices students and universities have in what courses they can do.

It is a bleak choice for students and young people at the moment growing up in a world where nearly every night there is bad negative news on the tv stating which country is needing a bail out of its debt next. They then hear how much debt they will be in if they do try and fulfill their ambitions at university . All this must make them feel like they are up to their neck in debt and no way out of this cycle.

This is not fair. On a young generation which hold the key to moving us all forward in many ways as they are the future are being victimised from all angles.



We see only this week even further evidence with the jailing of Charlie Gilmore from the magnificent students demonstrations last year in December. Many were arrested and detained against their will in kettles and there are legal proceedings going through against that and the police who kettled young students younger than 18 for excessive lengths of time and without food or water or toilet facilities. This is not on in my book it is bad enough to submit anyone to this sort of treatment but leta lone under 18's.

There is increasing attempts by the ruling class to clamp down on political protest from young people as we have seen with the handing out of harsh sentances to protesters who although acting a little stupid to say the least have been given harsh sentances. Like the 32 month sentance to Edward Woodwood for dropping a fire extinguisher off the top of Conservative HQ. Not excusing these students but i can totally understand the anger they feel and were hitting back due to their lack of opputunities from this government inflicting cuts and privatisation and less opputunities to them as a result.

What options are they left with when they feel they have no voice in a political sense. Not one of the main political parties speaks their language anymore. It was said the Lib Dems did support students and played very well on this fact last time at the election but this can no longer be true due to them selling out their pledges to vote with the tories for higher tuitian fees.

This was met with huge anger andaggression from many students and young people who just weeks before had seen their EMA decimated which is another vital component of a students life today giving them the chance to get to school and college and pay for their education materials.

We as socialists must show that there is a light and a chance for them to engage in class struggle but not turn to such dangerous tactics of anarchism. We would much rather they built up their anger and developed a good sense of collective power with their fellow students and took strike action, occupations and demonstrations on a mass scale. This is far more effective when organised properly.

The collective power of the organised working class cannot be underestimated. The trade unions and students need to merge into one now really as we aer all facing attacks from all angles and united we stand divided we fall.

The fact that there have been politically motivated arrests and jail sentances is all designed to put young people off protesting. This will not work as the harder they come down on them the stronger their views against the state will become. We must be there to channel that into a positive action rather than a negative one though.

This autumn many young people are reinacting the Jarrow to London march

"Youth Fight for Jobs is organising a march from Jarrow to London in October, in the footsteps of the unemployed seventy-five years ago. They marched for the right to work, to be able to have a job. It seems this government is forcing millions today to do the same. We will set off on 1 October, a day before the start of the Conservative conference, and arrive in London 5 weeks later on 5 November. We are calling on the anti-cuts movement, student activists, trade union members and unemployed workers to support our march."

Youth Fight for Jobs was launched in January 2009 to combat the effects of the recession on young people. It is supported by Unite, RMT, PCS, CWU, UCU, Bectu and many local trade union and student union groups.


We stand shulder to shoulder with these young people in their fight for a better opputunity in life.

THE RIGHT TO A DECENT JOB FOR ALL, WITH A LIVING WAGE OF AT LEAST £8 AN HOUR
NO TO CHEAP LABOUR APPRENTICESHIPS! ALL APPRENTICESHIPS TO PAY AT LEAST THE MINIMUM WAGE, WITH A JOB GUARANTEED AT THE END
NO TO UNIVERSITY FEES. SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT FEES.


These are just some of the basic demands young people want today we as the working class must support them and make them feel they are not alone and we as the workers are all in this together and together we can win.

Why the student movement isnt dead

Reading Sunny hundles pice on liberal conspiracy http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/02/08/why-the-student-movement-in-england-is-essentially-dead/ you'd be forgiven the youth and students have given up the fight. Maybe that's waht some want ? to say i told you so i dont know.

But i do not feel this movement is dead at all. Yes it has faced some big blows by the abolishment of EMA going throug hand trebling of tuitian fees. But there are still lots of fight and battles ahead. We will do well to remember the poll tax got pushed back even once it was made law so there is always hope where there is a will for the fight.

I personally feel the trades unions need to invigerate the students and bring them on board. Of course the NUS will not do anything now. They are too focused on electing its next careerist leader. Aaron Porter who has betrayed his members and all students by failing to act and even he admitted dithering about when it comes to actingg. He simply must go he has failed and nedds replacing by someone with a stronger will and mind for the battles ahead.

With the opporaching demo on march 26th in London called by the TUC. Students must be at the fore front of this demo. Whilst non students attended the demo's for tuitian fees likewise students should show solidarity to come on the mass march 26th demo.

Students and young people as we well know do not enjoy sitting in endless meetings and dull discussions like us. They want to get out there and do something. TO feel apart of something.

The way we can do this is by involving them in local campaigns. If a local anti cuts group have a lobby of their local council when the budget is being set locally. Why not invite a load of students along allow them to shout and chant at the councillors let them vent their anger locally too. We discussed this last night. Linking up anti cuts movement and student one. It can bbe doen just needs some thinking about. The NSSN anti cuts body needs to incorperate students too and if any local anti cuts unions are set up. One is being set up locally to me in Stevenage for example i feel rightly so that a youth/student should be on its committee stearing the direction of the campaign locally and organising for big mass demo's nationally. Young people should have a big say in where this movement goes as ultimatly they will be the ones benifiting from it if we are successful.

This is the fight of our lives. To save public services and often peoples lives if crucial support is cut to disabled and mentally ill people in this country.

Students must not be left out of any movement or decision. But they do need to be active and feel involved. If their own union wont do this, NUS, then the wider trades union movement should bring them on board and teach them the ways.

The student movement is not dead it just needs a injection of belief and c onfidence which to be honest we all need. This will come wit ha successful TUC demo on march 26th. This demo could really shake the government if big and loud enough. we hope to have hundreds of thousands and maybe millions on the streets of London that day. Put the fear of god into those con-dems. Make them realise ordinary working people will not just stand by and watch their public services get destroyed. If we dont stand and fight now, we never will and the tories will clean up.

It is crucial that the TUC demo on march 26 has a message. I believe strongly that a threat to government of mass co-ordinated strike action should be seriously threatening to teh government. We have to mean it though. We cant go with empty threats and pull out wimpering back home. We have got to be serious about this. Start by threatening a full one day mass general strike in the public sector then if cuts carry on escalate the pressure with further cleverly orchestrated strike action.

This will get the tories and probably even Ed miliband running around panicing. Thinking oh god what are we going to do. Lets condem this strike before its even happened and call it irresponsible for wanting to protect working peoples jobs. Oh no we cant have that can we.

I can see Ed miliband being trapped if this happens as he will not know where to turn. Condem the strikes and sell out his own movement backed by unions who voted him in. Or join with us working people and stand for his principles. Whilst getting a hammering in the national press. I think its about time we stopped listening to what the media out there are saying and do waht's right aand protect workers jobs and lives.


The students will play a big part in all of this i feel lets get them involved and active more.