Youth conference hears call for intergenerational unity to oppose cuts

12 February 2011

YAC Chair Kye Dudd welcomed delegates and visitors to the 6^th annual youth conference which was held at the offices of the Birmingham and District Amalgamated branch on 12 February.In his opening address, Kye emphasizes the importance of young activists continuing to make their voice heard in the union and the wider political movement, and how we can never become complacent about, or take for granted our own structures, continually seeking to make them more effective.

Guest speaker, and leading activist in the student and ukuncut movements, Aaron Peters then identified the need for a broad coalition to come together to fight the ruling neo-liberal consensus.

He identified a past feeling of powerlessness that stopped change occurring and claimed that the success of the student demonstrations was a real sign of this attitude being broken and a new atmosphere of positive change taking hold.

Aaron celebrated the success of the protest against the Conservative headquarters at Millbank. "I'd never damage another human being but you can understand how people feel property is another matter," said Aaron, who identified protest occurring at the moment on a number of levels, such as the tax avoidance movements.

He claimed that the media view that the new protest movement was all about social networks was wrong. "Online networks allow groups to co-ordinate, so people can find out what is going on but it is offline that the bonds of solidarity are built," said Aaron, who is looking forward to a mass turnout out for the TUC led protest on 26 March.

And he warned. "The police are constantly watching now" and possibly even listening to voicemails, and went to discuss possible response to that those developments.

Aaron urged that people need to keep educating others as to the injustice of the situation today. He cited the VAT hike, a 17 per cent increase in rail fares, tuition fees and the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance as signs of the worsening situation.

He said talking to the police on demos about the rising cost of living, insecurity at work and the problems their children would face in the future often struck a chord.

Aaron suggested deploying tactics like that of de-arrest. This occurs when a police officer tries to separate one person off from the crowd; others then swarm around that person and take them back into the throng of people.

He told how various students, who had done nothing wrong during the student protests, had since been pulled in by police and questioned for up to nine hours.

General Secretary Billy Hayes, in his keynote address, called for a windfall tax on the banks in order that a programme for youth employment could be established once again.

Billy contrasted youth unemployment levels of 10.1 per cent in 2001 to 20.3 per cent today for those aged 16 to 24.

"There is the danger of a lost generation," said Billy, who pointed out that there had been a slowdown in growth since last summer which had hit youth disproportionately hard. "The government policy is hurting but not working," said Billy who referred to David Cameron as "a self-confessed child of Thatcher."

Billy attacked the attitude of individualism that made people see things only in terms of always being about their own situation. "The attitude tends to be it's all about me, but it's not all about you but everyone in the trade union movement," said Billy, who identified the switch from the Retail Price Index to the Consumer Price Index - as indicators for pension and benefit increases - as a major affront to working people.

Billy looked forward with hope at the growing movement building around opposition to the cuts programme. The potential for youth is immense, he said. "You have less history than me but more potential to change things, so go for it," said Billy, who urged people to be positive, "I have been to meetings on the cuts that have been poorly organised but packed: that is why I think the 26th March event will be massive," said Billy.

In a varied agenda, a number of motions focused on the cuts agenda, calling for unity in opposition to "cuts, job losses and fee rises."

Lenny Shaill of the Coventry branch praised the students for providing a spark of inspiration. "The working class are being told that they must pay for the crimes of the parasitic financial markets," said Lenny,

Richard Wilkins of South Central No1 called for opposition to the government's efforts to close libraries, youth centres, sport and leisure facilities. "These moves will affect every single person in the UK, young and old alike. We as a union must show real support in this struggle," said Richard.

There was also a call to sign up to the facebook campaign to save youth clubs.

A motion was also passed instructing thet YAC to contact the police authority to stop the practice of kettling people for hours on end in confined spaces, despite concerns from the top table about how the motion was worded.

Another motion passed calling for opposition to any further rise in the retirement age. "This is an attack on the working people of Britain. We will reach a time when people won't be able to afford to retire because they will still be paying for their education, face a two tier NHS and a lack of affordable housing," said Scott Haslam for the YAC.

On international matters a motion passed calling on national conference to invite a speaker from the Free Gaza campaign to address it.

Acting Youth Officer, Graham Colk reported in his summation that conference had voted to send the motions on kettling and retirement to General Conference. Also that the general debate and speakers question and answer session had generated a lively Conference.