Day of action on unemployment
The radical youth organisation Resistance has initiated a petition calling for a national day of action in protest at the federal government's failure to seriously address the unemployment crisis. Following is the text of that petition. People wishing to sign the statement or find out more about the national day of action should contact the Resistance centre in their city.
We, the undersigned, protest the failure of the federal government to adequately deal with the unemployment crisis — a national tragedy currently afflicting more than one million Australians. We condemn those policies which will force the disadvantaged, in particular young people and the long-term unemployed, to bear the brunt of this crisis.
The Commonwealth's "training strategy", through both university and vocational education, is little more than an attempt to increase downward pressure on wage levels by increasing competition between job-seekers. The federal government is using high unemployment levels to put pressure on all workers wages. Not only is this a threat to the whole community, but in itself it will not and cannot create jobs. Below award wages will lead to employers substituting those on award wages.
The attempt to abolish unemployment benefits for under 18-year-olds and to force young people into below award wage "training schemes" will not create jobs. What it will do is to channel more public spending from social security to further business subsidies.
For young people, whether they're studying, working or currently unemployed, the promise is a bleak future — no jobs or slave wages.
We reject the federal government's policy of continuing handouts to business and its focus on education and training as a substitute for increased public spending and job creation. The approaching federal budget looks set to continue the government's "Robin Hood in reverse" strategy whereby disadvantaged groups, particularly the young, sink further into poverty and debt whilst corporate profit levels continue to climb.
With much touted high growth rates, the federal government should be taking the opportunity to increase the job prospects and living standards of those who paid for the recession. Now is the time to abolish unemployment.
In brief, our demands are:
- No below award "training wage", for young or old.
- No cuts to under 18 unemployment benefits.
- Real job creation, not more corporate handouts.
We, the undersigned, declare May 3 a National Day of Action. It will be a day for young people and the wider community to say "enough is enough" and to demand real and decisive and wide-ranging action from the federal government to end the present unemployment crisis.