TUC Young Workers Month 2015

November 2015 is the TUC’s third annual Young Workers Month. The TUC Young Workers forum are celebrating the month by looking back at some of the campaign activity from recent years. Watch our short video to recap on some of the events that took place.

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We’ve shown that we are listening to young workers and acting on the issues that matter to them, we listened during Fairpay Fortnight, when we took to the streets to speak to young workers about their experience of low pay, We listened During Decent Jobs week, going out into the community to hear from young workers about the struggles they face on zero hours, fixed term contracts and agency work.

We helped give young people a voice by running Voter Registration activity in workplaces creating the ‘Register your Workplace Guide’ for young reps; working with Bite the Ballot to support the #NVRD campaign that led to a 70% voter registration rate amongst 18-30years olds. We even got young workers round the table with the Labour Party in time for their manifesto consultation, so that young people could speak directly to the politicians and policy makers.

We ran the young leaders development programme and have seen more and more unions setting up youth committees, conferences and increasing the number of young delegates they send to congress (as shown in the 2014 TUC Equality Audit). TUC young workers conference has got bigger, with more delegates attending year on year and we have seen more unions represented on the forum than ever before.

Our priority campaign on housing has helped reached young people outside the trade union movement, our Housing survey reached over 2,500 young people and led to a joint press release with Generation Rent exposing that young people spend over 40% of their salary on rent. The forum ran an ‘email your candidate’ campaign, before the General Election, lobbying candidates to make housing for young people a priority. Our Young Workers Housing Charter has been signed by union General Secretaries including Dave Prentis, Dave Ward and our very own Frances O’Grady, as well as influential figures from outside the movement including Tom Copley of the London Assembly and Owen Jones! The social media presence has given a great boost to our petition, calling for a register of landlords.

Another campaign which has reached young people beyond the union movement is the important work we have done on mental Health. We produced the Young Workers guide to Mental Health, which has received very positive feedback from unions.  The forum actively participated in Mental Health Awareness Week (11-17 May) and World Mental Health Day (10^th October), sharing info graphics on the statistics relating to young people and mental health and promoting the guide. We published three brilliant blogs from young union members, who gave their personal stories on coping with mental ill health. Forum delegates also ran mental health awareness activity in their workplaces and pushed the topic up the agenda within their own unions. 

This year, Young Workers Month coincides with the trade union bill reaching its final stages in the House of Commons. The right to strike is vitally important for younger workers who have everything to gain from fighting for better terms and conditions. Young people experience some of the most difficult working conditions.  They are often in jobs that are low paid and insecure; a large number of younger workers are based in retail, hospitality and other low-paying sectors which typically employ staff on zero hours contracts. In addition, young people are at risk of being sent to replace striking workers, as temporary agency staff.

We have spoken to young people about the impact of the trade union bill and asked them what they think about the importance of the right to strike, we will be sharing their stories throughout November. Follow the action @TUCyoungworkersmonth

How you can support #YWM15:

• Download and display the official #YWM15 Twibbon on your facebook and twitter profile
• Tweet a message of support using #YWM15
• Download and display the official TUC Young Workers Month Poster
• Share our ‘Young Workers Support the Right to Strike’ social media graphics
• Read and share our blog on young workers and protecting the right to strike
• Share our booklet containing quotes from young workers, including the Chair of the forum on their views about the right to strike
• Promote the videos of young workers Emma and Alice talking about their experience of taking strike action and why they want to defend the right to strike
• Share the video of the TUC young workers campaign activity