A LIVELY lobby of over 50 Young Socialists and supporters, chanting ‘Youth demand a future, youth demand jobs’ demonstrated outside the TUC Congress yesterday morning.
They shouted: ‘TUC get off your knees – call a general strike!’ and ‘No cuts, no closures – kick this government out!’
A number of trade union leaders stopped to speak to the young lobbyists.
Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey, agreeing with them said: ‘We’ve got to have a general strike and we are working towards it.
‘It’s good to see young people here and involved in politics.’
Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB, when asked what his union was going to do about unemployment, said: ‘It is a scandal of national proportions and a waste of talent.
‘It will store up a lot of problems and political leaders of all parties should hang their heads in shame.
‘It’s all very well condemning young people, but they don’t have job opportunities and this has stored up a lot of problems.
‘EMA has been removed and with over a million youth unemployed we have made it clear this must be at the top of the TUC’s agenda, but we will have to see what is decided.’
ATL General Secretary Mary Bousted spoke to the young lobbyists and said: ‘I care deeply about young people and I will be supporting action against public service cuts.’
Steve Gillan, Prison Officers Association general secretary, said that they would be challenging the anti-union laws.
‘We have broken laws in the past and if it is the will of the members, we will do so again.’
Young Socialists lobbying the TUC wanted action from the trade unions.
Sixteen-year-old Idris Sanusi said: ‘I am not at college and my EMA has now been cut.
‘The TUC must fight to refund everything that has been cut and kick this government out.’
Francis O’Brien, 19, from Peckham, has been unemployed since he left college.
‘The TUC need to fight for jobs for young people and to stop cheap labour,’ he said.
Charlotte O’Shea from Harrow said: ‘I am unemployed and want to work.
‘I haven’t worked for a year because the company had to close down and because they couldn’t afford to stay open.’
A delegation of sacked Gate Gourmet workers were also lobbying the TUC.
Lakhinder Saran said: ‘A legal action is now going forward against our union leaders over their duty of care towards their members and this has now been lodged in the High Court.’
Gate Gourmet sacked 700 TGWU members in August 2005.
Members of the Welwyn and Hatfield Keep NHS Public campaign also turned out to demand action from the TUC.
