WHILE the marchers stopped to get their picture by the statue of the leader of the English Revolution, Oliver Cromwell, yesterday morning, the local paper, the Warrington Guardian, came out to take an interview about the YS March for Jobs from Liverpool to London.
This was Day 18 of the 248-mile march, as the Young Socialists marchers prepared for the final 20-mile leg of their journey from Warrington to Liverpool.
The evening before, marchers enjoyed a delicious hot meal, refuelling at the end of the 18-mile march from Manchester to Warrington at the Waterside Pub.
The meal was provided by USDAW. An USDAW spokesperson said: ‘Zero hours contracts are a modern day scandal for everyone, but in particular for young people.
‘We have members on zero hours contracts in small shops, big shops, distribution centres, factories and call centres. But they all have something in common: You can’t plan a life on a zero hours contract.
‘How can a young person pay to buy a house, or raise family, or even go on a holiday on a zero hours contract. It is fantastic to see groups of young people putting so much effort into highlighting this issue. Young people need to join their union to kick this government out, then we can provide hope for the future.’
A school convenor from the Unison local government branch at Halton rushed up to the marchers while they were eating to give them a donation and wish them well.
Ingrid Butterworth said: ‘Our branch secretary Paula Barker will be at the TUC Conference and I’m going to tell her about the YS lobby of the TUC and how she must support it.
‘Young people are our future and we need to support them and not have them working for nothing. I am certainly against the university fees and the debts. Either you can’t go to university because your parents can’t afford it or you spend the rest of your life in debt.
‘I give 100% support to the Young Socialists March for Jobs. Personally, I am, and Unison are, against academies, it’s the privatisation of schools. The only people who benefit from schools being turned into academies are the top level of staff.
‘All the money goes to the bosses at the top and the funds do not benefit the students. We’re fighting to stop the academisation of a local school. Personally, I feel that it would be beneficial if everyone came out on strike together. I wish you all the best on your walk and will be looking out for you on the news.’
A cheer went up amongst the marchers when it was announced that the Unison branch of Liverpool’s John Moore’s University had sponsored them for lunch.
Andy Beech, branch secretary, said: ‘Liverpool University Unison support the march because it is important that we keep the pressure up on this absolutely abhorrent government. We must fight austerity cuts at every turn.
‘Austerity does not work because it only effects those with very little. What we need to do is to protect jobs for youth and stop them from being thrown onto the scrap heap at a very early age. We have to give the youth of today something to look forward to.
‘I think that even more people should support this march and there must be a greater call for a general strike. To maximise the effect of a general strike we have to put aside petty differences between unions and make a united front.
‘Without a doubt the Young Socialists should address the TUC conference, the voice of the youth of today must be heard.’
