This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/oct/17/tradeunions-protest-young-people-jobs-north
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| TUC March: 3. How will we get young people in the North back to work? | TUC March: 3. How will we get young people in the North back to work? |
| (9 days later) | |
| Youth Fight for Jobs was launched in 2009 in response to rising levels of youth unemployment. It was backed by eight major unions - Unite, PCS, RMT, CWU, UCU, FBU, Bectu and TSSA - and Yorkshire & Humber TUC in its campaign for investment into jobs for young people. | Youth Fight for Jobs was launched in 2009 in response to rising levels of youth unemployment. It was backed by eight major unions - Unite, PCS, RMT, CWU, UCU, FBU, Bectu and TSSA - and Yorkshire & Humber TUC in its campaign for investment into jobs for young people. |
| Youth unemployment had been creeping up slowly for years but until the recreated Jarrow March, the figures were absorbed into the monthly unemployment figures. For many years, the country almost accepted that it would be difficult for young people to find work. In 2009, Iain Dalton finished university where he had been active in student politics before the recession hit. Even with a good degree, he found it hard to find work. He was trying to get a place in academia but institutions had already started making cuts. His brother was unemployed for a year and Dalton for five months. He says: | Youth unemployment had been creeping up slowly for years but until the recreated Jarrow March, the figures were absorbed into the monthly unemployment figures. For many years, the country almost accepted that it would be difficult for young people to find work. In 2009, Iain Dalton finished university where he had been active in student politics before the recession hit. Even with a good degree, he found it hard to find work. He was trying to get a place in academia but institutions had already started making cuts. His brother was unemployed for a year and Dalton for five months. He says: |
| It grinds you down, it really grinds you down. There are loads of people I know who have just left university and just can't get a job - or if they do it's part-time. | It grinds you down, it really grinds you down. There are loads of people I know who have just left university and just can't get a job - or if they do it's part-time. |
| He and his brother managed to find shifts in a local supermarket which led to a full time job after nine months but Dalton relied on working overtime to get by. He says: | He and his brother managed to find shifts in a local supermarket which led to a full time job after nine months but Dalton relied on working overtime to get by. He says: |
| Now people are stuck on part–time shifts and it's their only job. | Now people are stuck on part–time shifts and it's their only job. |
| Dalton has organised student protests for the past six years and says that he has noticed a change. | Dalton has organised student protests for the past six years and says that he has noticed a change. |
| It's become a more determined mood. We had discussions at colleges and universities this year and said it's not enough to protest. We need to do more. The TUC has voted to look at the practicalities of a general strike and if they were to carry that out, that would be an opportunity for workers and students to link up. You can bet that there will be students with loads of debt who have parents in the public or private sector who have had pay freezes and cuts. | It's become a more determined mood. We had discussions at colleges and universities this year and said it's not enough to protest. We need to do more. The TUC has voted to look at the practicalities of a general strike and if they were to carry that out, that would be an opportunity for workers and students to link up. You can bet that there will be students with loads of debt who have parents in the public or private sector who have had pay freezes and cuts. |
| Nathan Taylor, 17, a student from Harrogate is reconsidering a university application because: | Nathan Taylor, 17, a student from Harrogate is reconsidering a university application because: |
| It's £9, 000 for 3 years, and on the basis of the jobs that we're looking at getting and the wages being paid in today's climate, that's easily two years' wages. Unfortunately my parents are in no position to help. My mum wants me to have an education so that I can have a chance of a better life, but paying £36,000? It's a privilege to have but it's a lot to pay. | It's £9, 000 for 3 years, and on the basis of the jobs that we're looking at getting and the wages being paid in today's climate, that's easily two years' wages. Unfortunately my parents are in no position to help. My mum wants me to have an education so that I can have a chance of a better life, but paying £36,000? It's a privilege to have but it's a lot to pay. |
The north of England has the highest proportion of youth unemployment in the UK. Central Leeds and Bradford West are amongst the worst-affected constituencies. The number of long term unemployed young people is ten times higher than it was in 2008. Young workers are up to three times more likely to be in receipt of benefits that older workers. | The north of England has the highest proportion of youth unemployment in the UK. Central Leeds and Bradford West are amongst the worst-affected constituencies. The number of long term unemployed young people is ten times higher than it was in 2008. Young workers are up to three times more likely to be in receipt of benefits that older workers. |
| Dalton says: | Dalton says: |
| There needs to be a real programme of investment into jobs for young people in the north. Figures have improved because people have gone into part-time work. The problem is that it doesn't provide a decent enough income for people. The unemployment figures look better but they're earning just enough to take them out of the benefit threshold. | There needs to be a real programme of investment into jobs for young people in the north. Figures have improved because people have gone into part-time work. The problem is that it doesn't provide a decent enough income for people. The unemployment figures look better but they're earning just enough to take them out of the benefit threshold. |
The Jarrow March 2012 had its critics but its success lay in obtaining public support for YFFJ objectives - bringing back Educational Maintenance Allowance, scrapping university fees, save youth services and build affordable housing. As the march made its way through Harrogate, the government announced that youth unemployment had topped one million. Suddenly, everyone realised why the canaries of the economy were singing protest songs and talking about a revolution. | The Jarrow March 2012 had its critics but its success lay in obtaining public support for YFFJ objectives - bringing back Educational Maintenance Allowance, scrapping university fees, save youth services and build affordable housing. As the march made its way through Harrogate, the government announced that youth unemployment had topped one million. Suddenly, everyone realised why the canaries of the economy were singing protest songs and talking about a revolution. |
| The rag-tag bunch trekking across the country with bandaged feet, and heavy hearts caught the imagination of the media. In July, the education charity Ambitious Minds mapped the distribution of youth unemployment across England; poorest areas proved to have the highest levels of youth unemployment. Youth Fight For Jobs also linked youth unemployment with the housing crisis; a lack of investment in construction leading to a reduction in employment opportunities for young people unable to obtain apprenticeships and trades. | The rag-tag bunch trekking across the country with bandaged feet, and heavy hearts caught the imagination of the media. In July, the education charity Ambitious Minds mapped the distribution of youth unemployment across England; poorest areas proved to have the highest levels of youth unemployment. Youth Fight For Jobs also linked youth unemployment with the housing crisis; a lack of investment in construction leading to a reduction in employment opportunities for young people unable to obtain apprenticeships and trades. |
| Lack of affordable housing and the Single Room Allowance led to the YFFJ website being inundated by young people forced to migrate to cheaper areas or move back to their families when income cannot meet the cost of housing and basic living expenses. Taylor is one of them, 17 years old and says: | Lack of affordable housing and the Single Room Allowance led to the YFFJ website being inundated by young people forced to migrate to cheaper areas or move back to their families when income cannot meet the cost of housing and basic living expenses. Taylor is one of them, 17 years old and says: |
| I live on by own because my parents lost everything. It's like being tossed to the side. You go to these agencies and they pass you on to someone else saying we can't help you – they direct you to your family and say can't your family help you? But the reason that I'm not living with them is because my parents lost the house, cars,t he business just went, a ten-year job ending. My dad's out of work, he's still out of work now. No-one has any reason to be caring about us. Lack of government help has affected his health, and you could see him going downhill. | I live on by own because my parents lost everything. It's like being tossed to the side. You go to these agencies and they pass you on to someone else saying we can't help you – they direct you to your family and say can't your family help you? But the reason that I'm not living with them is because my parents lost the house, cars,t he business just went, a ten-year job ending. My dad's out of work, he's still out of work now. No-one has any reason to be caring about us. Lack of government help has affected his health, and you could see him going downhill. |
| The announcement that the Government plans to remove housing benefit altogether from under 25s will, Dalton fears, be disastrous. | The announcement that the Government plans to remove housing benefit altogether from under 25s will, Dalton fears, be disastrous. |
| Like most young people, I rent and in the area I live in people are rammed into areas of multiple occupancy in houses that weren't designed for that. Young people who are made redundant will not just lose their job but they will lose their home. It may mean that other people need to move out because they can't get anyone to take over the room - it's just trapping young people in a pit of despair. | Like most young people, I rent and in the area I live in people are rammed into areas of multiple occupancy in houses that weren't designed for that. Young people who are made redundant will not just lose their job but they will lose their home. It may mean that other people need to move out because they can't get anyone to take over the room - it's just trapping young people in a pit of despair. |
In July the Joseph Rowntree Foundation calculated that a single working age person needs £16,400 a year – equating to an hourly pay of £8.38 – to be able to participate effectively in society. Dalton believes: | In July the Joseph Rowntree Foundation calculated that a single working age person needs £16,400 a year – equating to an hourly pay of £8.38 – to be able to participate effectively in society. Dalton believes: |
| There has to be a fundamental shift in the way wealth is distributed. We have a massive increase in the gap between rich and poor in this country. If you're going to talk about social justice and equality, what you need is for everyone to have the opportunity to be able to contribute to society, for everyone to play a role, to get into the job you want, for everyone to have a life. | There has to be a fundamental shift in the way wealth is distributed. We have a massive increase in the gap between rich and poor in this country. If you're going to talk about social justice and equality, what you need is for everyone to have the opportunity to be able to contribute to society, for everyone to play a role, to get into the job you want, for everyone to have a life. |
| What do you think? Please comment at the end of Ann's fourth post here. | What do you think? Please comment at the end of Ann's fourth post here. |
| The other two in the series are here and here. Ann Czernik is a freelance photojournalist specialising in activism in the north of England. All photographs within the text are hers. | The other two in the series are here and here. Ann Czernik is a freelance photojournalist specialising in activism in the north of England. All photographs within the text are hers. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. |