All Organisations subcategories:
Committee for a Workers International
Nationalist and National Liberation
Pro capitalist and Imperialist
Left and radical keywords:
International Socialist Resistance (54)
Revolutionary Communist League (1)
Socialist Peoples Party (Denmark) (1)
ISR
Highlight keywords |
Print this article
Search site for keywords: Low pay - Young workers - Pay - London - ISR
Young workers fight to End Low Pay
SOME OF the most exploited sections of Britain's workforce are young people. If you are under 22 you're not eligible for the full minimum wage, at present £4.50p an hour. If you're between 18-21 there is a minimum wage of £3.80 an hour. However, if you're 16 or 17 the minimum wage is a miserly £3.00 per hour from 1 October.
Michael Wainwright (ISR London)
Shamefully though, there is still no legal minimum wage if you are under 16. The ISR (International Socialist Resistance) is fighting for a living wage for all young workers.
We are campaigning to unite the heavily casualised workforce to challenge the scandal of low pay. The enormous response that our campaign has received, even at this early stage, shows the growing anger and determination amongst young workers to stand up to the bosses.
ISR in London has organised regular street stalls in central London, Hackney, Angel Islington and Brixton where workers of all ages have flocked to the stalls to sign petitions and provide contact details.
This campaign is beginning to steer young people towards trade unionism and workforce unity. These fundamental concepts of working-class solidarity and organised labour are vitally important as they will instil confidence and a realisation that real victories can be won.
A series of local meetings are planned for the different local areas, which have been targeted by the campaign, with the aim of sparking off activity and action against low pay and poor conditions.
A London-wide day of action on 17 September has been organised. We aim to gain support from the trade unions as well as galvanising the many young people who are interested in our campaign.
All it would take would be one small victory in a workplace for there to be a surge in similar struggles throughout workplaces in London and the rest of the country. The Low Pay campaign can only flourish if it aims not just to win better wages and conditions in the workplace but to raise the need for a socialist alternative to the rule of the bosses.
The key demands that the campaign calls for, such as the right to quality training with a decent job at the end and an £8 an hour minimum wage, can only be realised if the capitalist system itself is challenged.
Young workers are now, more than ever, aware of their exploitation but they often feel helpless without the tools to fight against it. ISR are starting the important process of arming young workers with the only weapon that can defeat the system of poverty - socialism.
International Socialist Resistance
ISR IS an international anti-capitalist organisation run by and for young people.
As well as in England, Wales and Scotland, we have groups in Northern and Southern Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, France, Greece, South Africa, Kashmir, Brazil, Australia, USA and more.
We initiated the idea of school and college strikes against the war and helped to organise many of them.
We also campaign against low pay, the destruction of the environment, against the commercialisation and privatisation of our education against racism and on many other issues.
If you would like to join/get more info on ISR and link up with young people internationally: 020 8988 8791
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999