In Britain today, almost one million young people are not in work, education or training – and the numbers are rising. If all of these people lived in one city, it would be the third largest in Britain.
Karl Marx understood better than anyone that labour is what made us human, and is essential to a meaningful life. To deny someone work is not only to deny someone of their income, but to deny them of an identity – a place amongst society in general.
Right now, thousands are spending their time filling out hundreds of applications, week after week – and count themselves lucky to hear anything back.
Job vacancies have hit a five-year low; and on average, there are five people looking for work for every two vacancies that exist.
If you’re thinking of seeking out further education, or investing in some training to better your prospects, think again.
This year, some 800,000 people will graduate university – and then compete for just 10,000 graduate roles! As it stands, 40 percent of graduates are in roles they are overqualified for; and almost 700,000 are reliant on Universal Credit. Apprenticeships fare no better: new entrances for young people are down by over 40 percent.
All in all, it’s estimated young people today can expect to be £300,000 worse off over their lifetime, as a result of delayed starts to work and long-term unemployment.
These are the grim findings of the ongoing Alan Milburn report which concludes that young people in Britain today are at serious risk of becoming a “lost generation”: jobless, anxious, and left behind.
The report states:
“The old contract in society was always: you put in effort and got a reward, each generation would do better than the last – this contract has been broken for this generation… This is a whole system failure. And the price is paid by a generation of young people.”
That we are facing down “a whole system failure” is certainly an accurate description. Alongside chronic unemployment, all capitalism offers young people today is crumbling public services; untold destruction from imperialist wars; and an ever-deepening climate crisis which throws the entire future of humanity into question.
It should come as no surprise then that, as a Channel 4 poll found last year, almost half of Gen Zs (people aged 14 to 29) want to radically change this system – not through reforms here and there, but through revolution.
And it should come as no surprise either that almost a third of 18-24 year-olds have a positive view of communism – rising to 40 percent amongst 25-34 year-olds.
Young people recognise that their future does not rest on the question of which party to vote into parliament. If you cannot provide jobs or a future, you must be overthrown!
And this understanding is not unique to Britain in the least. Over the last few years, young people have led huge movements all over the world – young people who are sick of being made to pay the price for the carelessness, corruption, and callousness of their ruling classes; and refuse to be consigned as a “lost generation”. Nepal, Bangladesh, France, Kenya, Nigeria, Albania, Indonesia, Serbia… the list goes on!
So if you feel alienated, alone, and sick of this system, submit an application to something which will call you back. Join the communists! Be a part of Generation Revolution!
Rishi Sunak thinks you’re being paid too much
Ben Campbell, Bristol
Rishi Sunak is back with a new and creative solution for Britain’s economic woes: slash the minimum wage!
Writing in the Sunday Times, this multimillionaire Tory bemoans that hiring young workers is just too expensive, the welfare system just makes life a bit too easy, and there just aren’t enough incentives to work.
He claims the root issue, however, is the fiscal irresponsibility of governments – including his own! – trying to address the gap between wages and the cost of living.
Politicians, he boldly declares, must be ‘brave’. What does this look like? Introducing policies to “ensure there is a significant youth discount on the national living wage” and “link the national living wage to productivity.”
This is vile hypocrisy, but beyond this our ‘sensible’ former Chancellor’s knowledge of economics is simply subpar.
Productivity has been stagnant for decades. It has nothing to do with lazy workers demanding too much money – and everything to do with British capitalism becoming completely parasitic. The class Mr Sunak represents has asset-stripped the economy, ploughing billions into speculation and stock-market gambling.
For decades, these billionaires have crushed our living standards to boost their profits. Now that we refuse to be squeezed any further, they are left scrambling – other than bright spark Rishi Sunak, of course.
Really, Rishi should put his money where his mouth is: let’s have his wages tied to productivity first. Given that he produces little more than hot air, we can expect to see his income drop to zero!
