Socialist Youth News - North
Scrap fees - Free education for all

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Daniel Waldron, QUB Socialist Society

Students today face an increasing struggle to meet the financial costs of studying for a degree. The loans we receive are simply inadequate to survive on, especially when the extortionate price of private rental accommodation and many basic commodities are taken into account.

And of course, when we have finished our degree, we are burdened with the huge debt that we have been forced to take on.

This problem has been exacerbated by the introduction of top-up fees as high as £3,000 a year. Many young people, particularly from working class backgrounds, are wary of going into higher education because the cost of getting a degree may well outweigh the benefits in the future. Applications to university from Northern Ireland fell 11% last year!

Student loans and top-up fees are part of the neo-liberal agenda of New Labour, who want to turn all public services, such as education, into private enterprises run for profit, not those who use them. But students can fight back! Many of the capitalist ministers implementing these attacks on students today got their degrees under a system of free education and grants. These gains were won through struggles of workers and young people, fighting for a better future. Determined action by students can force the government back again.

The potential power of students was shown in the movement against the CPE, a draconian youth employment law in France in 2005. Hundreds of thousands of students took to the streets and occupied campuses. The working class came out in support of the struggle, recognising that the CPE was part of an offensive by the government against all workers. This movement rocked French society and forced the government to scrap the law. And this is only one example!

The Socialist Societies and our sister organisations in Britain have launched the Campaign to Defeat Fees to help students organise to fight for free education. The campaign has got a huge response, pushing the NUS to take action on the issue. We also campaign on many other issues, including the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the destruction of our environment, sectarianism and racism.

However, the root of all these problems is the capitalist system, which puts a tiny, rich elite in economic and political control of our world. If you want to fight against capitalism and the destruction that it brings, and for a socialist world run by the millions, not the millionaires, join the Socialist Society on your campus today!

PROTEST AGAINST FEES
Wed 10 October, Outside Vice-Chancellors Office, Lanyon Building QUB

For more details contact:
Queens: 07821058319
Jordanstown: 07786874718
Coleraine: 07837510885
Magee: 07876146473

Socialist Youth News - North
Getting organised in Uni

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The Socialist

The Socialisy Society is planning another year of building support for socialist ideas and fighting for students’ rights in Northern Ireland’s universities.

In Queen’s University Belfast the Socialist Society is planning meetings on Struggle in Latin America, the crisis in the Middle East and how to defeat tuition fees. The society will also be organising a protest against the Vice-Chancellor’s support for fees as well as a film showing of the revolutionary movements in Bolivia.

In the University of Ulster Coleraine the Socialist Society has made an important breakthrough and should be officially recognised on campus in the coming weeks. The society will be organising it’s first meeting of the year on “Why you should be a socialist” on Monday 1st October at 6pm in Room B 137 Students Union.

There will also be activity organised in Jordanstown, Magee and Belfast campuses of the University of Ulster for anyone in these areas to join and get active in the Socialist Society.

If you would like more information on what the societies are doing or to join then you can contact:

QUB Daniel – 07821058319
UU Coleraine Danny – 07837510885
UU Jordanstown Kevin – 07786874718
UU Magee or Belfast Paddy  07876146473
Or e-mail: socialistsociety@hotmail.com

Socialist Youth News - North
Young workers must Fight Low Pay

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The Socialist

Another year, another supposed increase in the minimum wage. From the 1st October the politicians will be praising themselves for an increase of 3% across the minimum wage rates. They will conveniently forget that inflation is running between 5% and 6% and this ‘increase’ in real terms represents a cut for low-paid workers.

New Labour’s recent threat to break the minimum wage up on a regional basis and lower it in Northern Ireland to £4.80 is a real threat for the future. If the Government tries to pit worker against worker based on where they live, only a joint campaign across Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales can defeat these attacks.

Even the pitifully low minimum wage is still being flouted by many employers. Since 1997 there has only been one successful criminal prosecution for paying under the minimum wage. The likelihood of getting caught and the small compensation companies have to pay mean it is more profitable for some to ignore the legislation. Workers taking action and naming and shaming employers are the best ways of forcing bosses to pay up.  

Scandalously apprentices aged under 18 have been treated like slave labour by employers due to exemptions in the minimum wage. Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning, has introduced a new ‘Training for Success’ plan which is designed to force apprentices to work for nothing. According to the Minister apprentices will be “required to be in employment” but will still be exempt from the minimum wage with no guarantee of a trade at the end of it. This is slave labour for bosses.

A 17 year old worker doing the same work as someone a few months older can legally be paid £1.20 an hour less. If you compare a 17 year old to a 22 year old worker the gap widens to £2.12 an hour for doing exactly the same work. In 2001, the Socialist Party’s End Low Pay Campaign succeeded in getting a motion to abolish youth exemptions passed through the Assembly. But the politicians have done nothing to act on this and will continue to do so unless pressure is put on them by young workers.

Socialist Youth’s Fight Back! Campaign will be holding meetings and protests to organise young workers to fight for our rights. If you are a young low paid worker or feeling unfairly treated at work then get in contact with us today at 02890232962 or 07876146473.

Public Meeting: "How young workers can fight low pay" 3pm Sat 22 Sept, Socialist Party Offices, 13 Lombard St, Belfast (Between Curry’s & Fresh Garbage) ---------------------------------------------- End Low Pay Protest Castle Court, Belfast 1pm Sat 29th Sept