As the Jarrow March for Jobs arrives in London... Youth demand their future!

Sarah Wrack

Youth Demand a Future, photo The Socialist (Click to enlarge)

On 5 November thousands will join the Jarrow marchers to take their message right to the government's door. What we're demanding isn't unrealistic and it isn't greedy. We don't want millions of pounds in bonuses like the bankers. All we want is a decent life.

We want an education, a good job and a decent home - without having to live with our parents! The problem isn't that we're demanding too much. The problem is that we have a government determined to put the billionaires first.

We don't accept that 'there's no money'. FTSE bosses have seen their earnings go up 49%. And the new minister of defence has committed billions of pounds to renew Trident nuclear weapons, despite a majority saying they should be scrapped.

The government will only listen if we force them to. The 330 miles that the Jarrow marchers have trodden through blisters, back pain and more have shown that young people are not 'lazy' - far from it; we're ready to fight for our futures.

The demo on 5 November, like the 'tent cities' we've seen in London, in Wall Street and around the world, is just the beginning of the fightback. But the next stage in our battle isn't far away.

On 30 November the largest strike this country has seen for generations is set to take place. This is public sector workers, including teachers and lecturers, taking action against cuts by refusing to work.

Workers have enormous potential power. On 30 June this year, when 750,000 workers took action, schools and colleges closed while queues formed in ports and airports. 30 November will be even bigger.

That's why young people need to make sure we join the picket lines, rallies and demonstrations that take place on this day. This needs to be a strike day for students as well - to shut down education.

Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow March 2011 launch demonstration in Jarrow, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

Like last year, when we walked out over tuition fees and EMA being cut, this autumn students need to protest. But this time we will have the added strength of hundreds of thousands of workers.

And the fight won't stop there. We need to build a mass movement of young people united with workers to fight the cuts and for our futures.

Youth Fight for Jobs and Education will be organising all over the country. We'll be fighting locally to get EMA reinstated by councils - like it has already been in Southwark in London.

We'll fight to save every youth service and get the ones that have already been closed re-opened.

We'll say no to young people being used as slave labour and protest against employers who want to use 'workfare' schemes to boost their profits or lower their costs.

As the Jarrow March for Jobs arrives in London... Youth demand their future!

Sarah Wrack

Now's the time to join the fight and get organised!

MARCH:

Assemble 12 noon, 5 November at Temple tube station, Embankment, London

JOIN: Youth Fight for Jobs & Education today

ALL OUT: 30 November - shut down education

www.jarrowmarch11.com

After the London Jarrow march and rally, come to Socialism 2011, a weekend of discussion and debate:

Saturday rally, 'World in Crisis', 6.30pm, 5th November, Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London.

For details of the Sunday rally and the many discussion sessions, go to: www.socialism2011.net