Support the strikes: Labour Youth calls on Government to stop neglecting students/unemployed graduates

Issued : Tuesday 24 November, 2009

Labour Youth has expressed support for the national strikes in universities nationwide today and called on the Government to stop future cutbacks in education.

"Increased college registration fees have placed an unfair financial burden on students who are getting decreased college services. DIT's registration fee increased from €900 last year to €1500 this year but students are getting a drastic reduction in their student services. A staff embargo, sacking nine lab technicians, reduced counsellor services and a 90% decrease of staff in DIT Sport Service has meant that students are not getting value for money but have to pay for the mistakes of Government, banks and developers instead.

Attending the UCD student protest, Labour Youth Chairperson, Rory Geraghty stated that the Government are so far detached from society that they are oblivious that there are alternatives to cuts.
"The ICTU's call to invest €1 Billion euro in a job stimulus package makes perfect sense since it will give opportunities to young people beyond the airport and the dole queue," he said.

"Banks have been bailed out at a cost of €54bn to the taxpayer and no help has been provided to those in hardship. We're supporting today's strike because we, like the ICTU, believe that there is a better, fairer, way."

A supporter of the jobs stimulus package, Labour Youth Vice-Chair, Kirsten Gordon said, "students should not have to pay for the Government's mismanagement of an economy under water, when we're not even able to swim in the real world".

"We deserve a future of opportunity, more graduate schemes and not decreased services for increased prices. We are getting the unfair left-overs from a Government who have hit a financial iceberg," she said.

"We have no guarantee of jobs, no work placements let alone a secured future. It's about time the Government stopped neglecting students and unemployed graduates and started to throw us a lifeline somewhere."

ENDS

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Labour Youth Chair, Rory Geraghty: 083-3482950
OR Labour Youth Vice-Chair, Kirsten Gordon: 087-9732108