Training rip-off

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)RT IRISH FREEDOM YOPS, NTI, YTS. Which ever package you are on, it's still a con.

Scared stiff by the thought of hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth hanging around on the streets, "causing trouble and rioting", , the government have set up these schemes - the next best thing to conscription.

They've even got advantages over conscription. They are easier to sell to the public and the trade unions. It looks like the government is trying to do something a party of labour is set up in the North.

We support the positions which relate to the main political problem in the North, the presence of British troops and the unity they enforce with constructive to cut the unemployment figures ana best of all, the schemes cut the wages bill and undermine trade union organisation.

• YS conference can adopt policy: which enables us to campaign against new schemes which don't have union rights and rates of pay and which haven't got a guaranteed job at the end of it.

The YS should continue its campaign to unionise these schemes.

The YS should support the unemployed workers movement and we must fight for unemployed sections and rights in the trade unions too.

Britain.

The working class in the North is divided along loyalist and nationalist lines and the unions are divided too. To set up a Labour Party which ignores the partition of Ireland only reinforces the division. By papering the Irish themselves cannot ignore. The fight against the border will go on and it is our duty to support it.

Socialists in Ireland have to convince Protes: tant workers that their interests lie in the reunification of: Ireland. NOT BOMB THE YS doesn't seem to want to discuss gay. rights. For years, members have wanted to take up the issue but the Standing Orders Committee prefer to put almost anything else on the agenda.

As we go to press it seems that this year's conference will yet again not be discussing gay rights. We have been told that the NC will read out a statement saying that the • YS supports gay rights at work and condemns, sackings on the grounds of sexual orientation. Once again, no debate will be allowed.

Organise Gay LPYS has been set up to help organise YS members who want to fight for gay rights. At conference we will be challenging the order paper — demanding a discussion, and holding a fringe meeting.

Gay rights are something we should all fight for now. It cannot wait until we have socialism. It is now that people are beaten up or sacked for being gay. Iris today that lesbians have their children taken away by the courts, now that the police raid gay clubs, now that people are forced by fear to lead secret lives, hiding their sexuality.

And it's now we • have to fight.

It is an insult to gay youth that the only labour movement youth group refuses to také up a fight for their rights.

Bringing up the issue in the labour movement leads beyond straightforward questions of legal rights. Take for example, police harassment. The police raid gay clubs and arrest men for being affectionate towards eachother in public. Why do the police da this? Becuase the police are reactionary - their job makes sure they are.

How can they get away with this? Because they aren't accountable to anyone. Why do gay men get picked on and not lesbians? Because the law doesn't recognise lesbianism, because women aren't supposed to be sexual without men.

Capitalism It's obvious - fighting for gay rights means fighting capitalism too.

Young people are concerned about gay rights and gay activists can be won to the YS if we show that we take up their particular oppression and fight alongside them.

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