The Young Socialists on Saturday launched its March for Jobs and Free State Education from Manchester to London.
Bus workers came to welcome the young marchers before they set off from Fallowfield for the Manchester University Students Union.
Jimmy Thornton of Unite Manchester Public Service branch, told News Line: ‘It’s inspiring to see the young people taking the protest to the streets.
‘I really hope this will make an impact with everyone.
‘The young marchers are a great lead and I hope all the major trade unions will come out and support them.
‘Our branch sends its solidarity and best wishes for all on the march.
‘We will be marching with them on Sunday when they set off from St Peter’s Square to London.’
John Hughes, Hyde Road Unite branch, said: ‘I’m supporting the march because the cuts that are coming are desperate for everybody.
‘The poor are being hit hardest, the young are being hit.
‘I have two young lads at college, with all these fees at university how am I going to manage?
‘We need to hit this government hard.
‘I agree with the march call for a general strike to bring this government down.
‘People need to be made to come alive to what is happening. Everyone will be affected.
‘The march is good because it’s giving a lead.
‘The young people are the future and these young people are trying to do something about the future.’
The march won a tremendous reception with cars and trucks hooting their horns as it proceeded through Fallowfield and Rusholme shouting slogans ‘Low pay no way, youth demand jobs,’ ‘Youth demand a future, youth demand jobs,’ ‘We won’t pay tuition fees, education must be free,’ ‘No cuts no closures, bring this government down’, ‘Capitalism’s dead, socialism now.’
Passers-by waved and took march leaflets, while a number of youth joined the march, some saying they will stay to march all the way to London.
At a packed march meeting in a Manchester University hall, Young Socialists National Secretary Joshua Ogunleye said: ‘The support we got on the streets does show people know what’s facing them.
‘People face losing their jobs and their homes.
‘They appreciate a march by young people standing up for a future.
‘Education, health care are what we all need.
‘Let’s look forward to a big success for our march.’
March organiser Jonty Leff said: ‘The first two miles out of the 220 have been successfully completed.
‘This is a march where young people are marching for their future.
‘Busmen and Visteon workers joined us today. Council workers will be joining us tomorrow.
‘It’s important that young people join with workers.
‘The working class has enormous power.
‘Youth will lead the way in the revolution that is coming.
‘We are marching from Manchester, which is the birthplace of the working class.
‘Engels wrote about the terrible conditions of the English working class.
‘But workers clawed their way out of these conditions to get the right to a council home, healthcare and a job.
‘In this economic crisis, this government has declared war on workers, youth and students.
‘It’s a war and we need good generals.
‘There is a surging working class movement. Firefighters were out last week, along with bus workers.
‘The movement is building up and it will erupt as we go down the road.
‘The NUS leaders who refuse to fight against fees are holding a march to freeze fees.
‘We are for the smashing of fees.
‘Accepting fees means accepting privatisation.
‘When the NUS leaders say keep the cap, be careful what you wish for.
‘Well this government has kept the cap, at £9,000. This will price youth out of university.
‘The student union leaders let students down as do all the other union leaders let workers down.
‘They held a lobby of the Tory party conference, saying please don’t make the cuts – that’s ridiculous.
‘We say no gain of the working class can be defended without bringing this government down.
‘We are on the way to a general strike.
‘The working class is on the road to power.
‘We are going to build the Young Socialists. We have to build the leadership that’s going to get rid of this government and get rid of this system and go forward to socialism.’
Visteon worker Dom Barone told the meeting: ‘I support this march.
‘As an ex-Visteon worker, I know what it’s like, being told you’ve got six minutes to get your gear and get out of the factory.
‘We have to fight or it is going to get worse, closing down factories.’
He added: ‘We occupied the factory in the end and we got a good deal.
‘We were there for at least two months, day and night, in warm weather and cold.
‘And we won. You have to fight for what you believe in.
‘Now we are having to fight Ford for our pensions.
‘We were Visteon workers but we were under Ford terms and conditions.
‘They want to get away from that but we are going to carry on fighting.’
Chingford ASLEF chair and secretary of the North-East London Council of Action, Bill Rogers, told the meeting: ‘As the march came down the high road, people were cheering.
‘The march will become a focus for the whole working class.
‘We will put the Young Socialists out in front.
‘The government budget will mean a million people out of work.
‘They want pensions at 67.
‘In France, they’ve been taking strike action over pensions.
‘What are the trade unions doing here – nothing.
‘The YS have hit the nail on the head.
‘The trade union leaders have called a march for next year!
‘We put out the call to occupy Chase Farm Hospital.
‘The government plan to privatise hospitals in a big way.
‘The health unions have done nothing.
‘Your march is spot on – 137,000 jobs were threatened in the NHS before these cuts.
‘Just down the road is Mid-Staffs Hospital.
‘People died unnecessarily there because of the drive to become a Foundation Hospital.
‘The cuts are vicious. Nothing can be resolved without bringing down this government.
‘There are cuts in housing, hospitals, libraries. It’s going backwards.
‘Where there was cutting-edge technology, there is nothing now.
‘The fight for jobs is paramount. And free education.
‘People hate this governmment. They want to see them smashed.
‘Single parents are going to have their benefits cut, pensioners are going to be evicted.
‘Capitalism is bankrupt and our job is to lead the coming revolution and the YS is going to be built for that.’
Young Socialist editor Paul Lepper said: ‘The building of the YS is crucial.
‘Jobs that go are our future.
‘We are going to be the leadership for workers.
‘It’s a fight to the death. The working class has been described as a sleeping giant, but it’s waking up.
‘We have to build the Young Socialists throughout the country.
‘When youth fight, revolution happens.
‘This has been the case throughout history. In Russia, in France.
‘We have to bring down this government. We need to fight to win, we need all of you. We are going to win.’
Scott Dore, Harlesden YS, said: ‘This is an important moment in the world.
‘We need to smash capitalism to have a future.
‘We have won tremendous support today.
‘People decided to help us and support us.
‘People want to do something about it. We need to do something to get rid of the system, otherwise it’s going to be rubbish.’
The News Line spoke to some of the young marchers before they set off.
Paul Childs, Tulse Hill YS, added: I’m here to march for jobs.
‘There aren’t a lot of jobs about. It’s boring for young people. There is just nothing to do.
‘I’ve been trying for a job but I just can’t find one.
‘We’ve got to make a change for a different future.
‘The government is doing nothing for young people.
‘We need a workers government and to get rid of this capitalist system.
‘We want a socialist future.’
Lydia Ngala, Newham YS, said: ‘We are marching for free state education and jobs for youth.
‘We are fighting for young people’s future.
‘We are voicing our opinion and marching together, symbolising unity, for all the working class to come together and fight.
‘The march is to let people know we have to bring down this government.
‘It is to mobilise the working class and build a new leadership to organise a general strike to bring this government down.
‘We want a government that has the working class’s interest at heart.
‘It’s time to go beyond this capitalist system – it isn’t working and it’s only for the rich.
‘We want a socialist system to take us forward.’
Monte Chahal, Hounslow YS, told News Line: ‘We want jobs and free education and to kick out the coalition government.
‘The government are all for the capitalists. They are criminals responsible for the dark future of youth under this system.
‘There are no jobs and it costs thousands of pounds to go to university.
‘There is a need for revolution.
‘Everyone should join the Workers Revolutionary Party and take the leadership of workers to kick these crooks out and get a workers government and make a better, socialist future.’
Charlene Crystal, Peckham YS, came to see the marchers off and march with them through Manchester.
She said: ‘I hope this march makes a difference.
‘People are dying of starvation and being killed in wars.
‘There’s no future under this system. I want a different future.’
