Student activists confused by call for separate student demonstration four days after demonstration united with young workers and unemployed

Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow marchers call for one combined demonstration on 5th November

Youth Fight for Jobs are recreating the Jarrow March on the 75th anniversary, and are bringing together students, unemployed workers, trade union members and activists in a demonstration on Saturday 5 November, assembling at Embankment at 11am.

The campaign was confused by yesterdays call by the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) to organise a separate demonstration on 9 November.

Leeds University Against the Cuts (LUAC) press spokesperson Ian Pattison said "I am confused as to why this call has been made. The march on 5 November has been publicly announced for 5 months and has received coverage in the Guardian and Independent.

"I announced this at the NUS conference and proposed that all student anti-cuts groups work together to build a united resistance to all the cuts, and campaign for a future for all young people, against the governments brutal measures.

"The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts backed this march at its recent conference.

"I am confused as to why yesterdays announcement to split the resistance was made without any consultation with student anti-cuts activists such as myself."

Ben Robinson, Chair of Youth Fight for Jobs, said "The recreation of the Jarrow march has the backing of six national trade unions, Unite, PCS, RMT, Bectu, TSSA, FBU and UCU.

"It also has the support of many student anti-cuts groups and individuals up and down the country who are marching, offering us accommodation, helping to organise the protest and so forth.

"Many of our members played leading roles in the student anti-fees protests. We hope that the NCAFC and EAN do not try to divide the resistance.

"We hope that we can get together and discuss with representatives from those groups so that we have one demonstration on 5 November that all activists can build for at the start of the new term."

Youth Fight for Jobs is a campaigning organisation launched in response to the government trying to punish young people for the recession in early 2009.

We have the backing of the PCS, UCU, RMT, CWU, UNITE and BECTU trade unions.

Why not click here to join the Socialist Party, or click here to donate to the Socialist Party.