The October meeting of the all-Britain Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) steering committee saw TUSC become the latest in a growing list of organisations committing to support the international youth strike on November 20 – the last day of the COP31 climate summit – under the banner, ‘Fight For Our Future, Not Their Wars’.
Socialist Students, one of the constituent organisations of TUSC with representation on our steering committee, is one of the founding organisers of the international youth strike, the plan for which was made at an assembly of twelve different youth and student organisations from eight countries held in Cologne on 14th June, following a successful series of school student strikes in Germany against the government’s plan there to re-introduce conscription.
At this initial meeting there were unsurprisingly four German youth organisations present, along with two from France, and one each from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Denmark and Britain (Socialist Students).
Since then, as youth movements have flared up across Europe, further organisations have joined the network from Italy (three), Belgium (three), Germany (two), Netherlands (two), and one each from France, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, and Slovenia. In Britain a further two organisations are now backing N20 – the Young Greens, and the Stop The War Coalition, the later welcomed to their first meeting of the international organising group on October 17th-18th. In France the three organisations participating in the N20 network – Union étudiante, Solidaires étudiant-e-s, and Mouvement National Lycéen – have been heavily involved in the current student protest movement. The N20 network is not a ‘talking shop’ but a key initiator of a significant and growing international movement.
As part of its preparation for N20 in Britain, Socialist Students has made an appeal for solidarity aimed at trade unionists, in a model motion available here, which was endorsed by the TUSC steering committee. The National Education Union (NEU) national executive committee unanimously agreed to back the walkout at its meeting the next day, in a motion moved by a TUSC supporter.
Once again young people are showing what needs to be done. For more information check out the Socialist Students website at https://socialiststudents.org.uk/
Other decisions
The steering committee also discussed a range of other issues, including a proposal to begin a public discussion about ‘the TUSC model’ of organisation and the coalition’s electoral interventions in advance of the 2027 local elections (with more details to appear shortly). Other preparatory work for the elections included a briefing on social care policy, around a paper drafted by a recently-retired former UNISON organiser for social care workers, and the new TUSC Directory of Elections in 2027.
And there was initial discussion too on proposals from the TUSC Independent Socialists: The Individual Supporters’ Section reps on the steering committee on stepping up campaigning work against racism and the far-right, and a report on correspondence with the Socialist Federation group of ex-Your Party proto-branch activists. ■
The next steering committee meeting will take place on December 2nd. By-election candidate applications and any other items for consideration to be placed on the agenda for the meeting must be received by the TUSC National Election Agent – Clive Heemskerk, at [email protected] – by Friday 27th November.