Fighting youth low pay (and security bullies)


Laurence Maples

On 1 March Socialist Party and Youth Fight for Jobs campaigners protested against zero-hour contracts, low pay and poor working conditions in Croydon.

Our chants, placards and leaflets encouraged young workers to join unions and fight for better employment conditions.

We targeted the Croydon Outlet Store – notorious for its low wages, bullying management and zealous anti-union attitude.

Although we were standing outside the shop on a public road, bullying security guards aggressively demanded we leave and tried to take our placards.

Naturally we continued to exercise our right to peacefully protest. These management stooges violently attacked us, tearing our material and manhandled one young protester across the road.

Numerous passers-by, including an off-duty security manager, intervened to berate the security guards’ attack and phoned the police.

Undeterred, after speaking to the police and receiving a half-hearted, begrudging apology from the store manager, we continued the protest.

The capitalists are willing to invest in heavy handed repression to protect their profits but they won’t fund decent jobs and pay.

We had an excellent response, showing how deeply working class people resent the bosses’ drive to impoverish us through low pay and measures such as zero-hour contracts.

Later we discussed plans to take the movement forward, including regular youth meetings, stalls, and asking to speak at union branches about our experience of organising young workers.