We won’t let them destroy us

Young members in Unite have condemned yesterday’s Tory Budget following what we believe to be an assault on young people by the Chancellor.

George Osbourne has committed to ending university maintenance grants for low income students, excluding under 25s from the ‘national living wage’ increase and cutting access to tax credit, housing benefits and JSA for young people.

George Osborne’s budget represents yet another ideological attack on young working class people.

His recent disgraceful announcements will only make the lives of the most vulnerable young people in our society even more miserable. Now more than ever the collective strength of trade unions is needed to challenge these attacks.

The budget falls on the day Unite’s Rules Conference voted overwhelmingly in favour of empowering its existing youth structures by giving voting rights and additional powers to its 133,000 young members.

Since the election thousands of young people have joined Unite seeking an alternative to the Tories’ austerity policies.

Our message is simple, for every cut they try to burden us with in our workplaces and communities we will fight back. And if that means being prepared to break bad laws which harm working class people then so be it. We are not going to let another Tory government destroy yet another generation.

*Anthony Curley is Unite’s national youth co-ordinator. For more about Unite young members see here