Youth
Join the Protest Against Under 23s Dole Cut
Young people under 23 are considered old enough to be put in jail or to join the army for example, and when working pay the same tax as other workers, yet when it comes to receiving basic social welfare they are being treated as some form of lesser being. It's the government's fault, not young peoples' fault that there are no jobs or future in this country. Now they're expecting young people to live on 160 euro a week!
FIFA Shifts the goalposts
The Republic of Ireland face an uphill struggle to qualify for the 2010 World Cup following a controversial ruling by football’s governing body. FIFA has seeded the teams in the World Cup play-offs to ensure that the big countries have an easy as possible passage to next summer's tournament.
Capitalism offers Bleak future for Young People
By Ann Katrin Orr,
Ireland is among those most affected by the economic turmoil and young people in the country are being hit particularly hard. The recession has penetrated deep into the lives of young people in Ireland, shutting off avenues and making the future of thousands of young people look grim.
Resistance – A Day of Discussion & Debate
On Saturday, 1st August, from 12-5pm in Central Hotel, Exchequer St. (off Georges' St.), Dublin, Socialist Youth are hosting a day of debate and discussion. All are welcome to attend.
Minimum wage cut?
By Laura Fitzgerald
EVERYONE KNOWS the minimum wage is paltry and it’s not enough to live on. Many young people up to the age of 20 have an even lower minimum wage, as miserable as €6.06 per hour for some. Yet each time we hear the oft-repeated mantra of “We must regain competitiveness” from the spokespersons for big and small businesses and right-wing politicians it is now increasingly accompanied by calls for the lowering of the minimum wage.
The Quick Food Service Alliance which includes McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Abrakebabra, have had the gall to launch a legal challenge to the minimum wage and to the compulsion to pay over-time rates on a Sunday!
NI – Youth Fight for Jobs
By Peter Kattourah and Paddy Meehan
IN THE past year, unemployment has officially jumped by a massive 62%! Thousands of jobs are being lost every month. In January alone 8,000 people lost their jobs in Northern Ireland. For young people, the situation is worse. Youth unemployment is now well over 20%. The Youth Fight for Jobs campaign will be taking to the streets of Belfast on Saturday 2 May together with trade unions on the May Day march.
This article outlines why you should join the march for jobs, reports on the Youth Fight for Jobs March at the G20 in London and gives a local update on the campaign.
Interview: The reality of youth unemplyment
Socialist Youth in Dublin spoke to Gemma Foster about being young and unemployed, her experiences signing on, searching for a job, her reaction and ideas for solving the youth unemployment crisis.
Apprentices: Time to fight for jobs & training
By Feargal de Buitleir, Dublin SY
THE LAST few months have seen the hopes of thousands of young people shattered as a collapsing construction industry casts its unwanted apprentices aside. Not only are the chances of finding work in Ireland very slim but without having finished their time, apprentices are unable to emigrate in the hope of finding work abroad.
FIght the Under 20’s dole cut!
By Laura Fitzgerald
THE SLASHING of the dole for under 20s to a miserable €100 a week is scandalous. How is anyone meant to survive on €100 a week? It just isn’t possible and on top of this rent allowance is also being cut. This vicious cutback sums up what this government thinks of young people and it is a warning to all workers and unemployed that all social welfare payments are now under the threat of being cut.
NI: Youth unemployment at 15%.. FIGHT FOR JOBS.
We demand a future!
By Paddy Meehan, Socialist Youth
IN NOVEMBER, it was announced that 15% of young people were officially unemployed. This figure, which does not include those on training schemes, will have undoubtedly risen since then with the massacre of job losses tearing through the retail sector. This summer, thousands of school and university students will be leaving education to look for work that simply isn’t there. Every week, announcements of factory and retail closures like Zavvi and Woolworths are dumping hundreds of young people onto the dole.
