To all campaigns, activists and student unions fighting cuts and fees,

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Our generation faces unprecedented attacks on education. Already the cuts slaughter began by New Labour in universities, is being extended by the new CON-DEM government. This autumn will see millionaire Tory universities minister David Willetts proposing higher tuition fees. The slashing of budgets and courses mean that hundreds of thousands of college leavers will be blocked from access to university this summer, with no other plans.

Unless we organise and fight back and are successful in halting and disrupting these attacks, the pro big business politicians will take us back to the Victorian era when access to a decent education was a privilege for the elite.

Socialist Students and Youth Fight for Jobs believe the only way to stop this is by organising mass action in universities, colleges and schools. If the NUS leadership calls action, we will be to fore in mobilising support, but we won't wait for them to act or rely on the pro New Labour leadership to lead an effective fight back.

If the NUS today does not name a date for a national demonstration at the conference on 29 July, we will initiate a call for a demonstration in London on Wednesday 20th October, the day the governments spending 'review' ie the next round of cuts including education, are announced. We want to work with all those who want to fight back in anti cuts and fees campaigns that already exist and begin organising broad effective campaigns on all campuses in the autumn. Youth Fight for Jobs has the backing of Unite and UCU, both unions that organise in the education sector, along with 4 other national unions, Sussex Students Union and many other bodies, and will campaign for all of these organisations and others involved in the United for Education campaign to actively mobilise for a demonstration on 20th October. Where possible a shut-down of campuses would mean the biggest possible mobilisation could be achieved.

Already we have seen opposition to university cuts with large protests, occupations and the setting up of anti cuts campaigns in a significant number of universities such as Sussex. Over the last few months the UCU in universities and colleges in many areas have taken industrial action, and school students in a number of schools have staged walk-outs against plans for academies over the last couple of years. This bosses' government will intensify its attacks and be will supported by managements in the elite universities and colleges. We need to respond by escalating our action and campaigning.

We think it's important that as well as mobilising those who are already leading the fight back for campaigns through action to aim to draw in the support of the mass of students, campus staff, trade unionists and communities.

For us this means flexibly using tactics that are based on mass action and participation such as demonstrations, occupations, student strikes and walkouts. In Germany on June 9 85,000 school students and apprentices took strike action against attacks on education this was organised by a coalition of groups with tiny resources compared to an organisation like the NUS but who responded to a mood of anger with bold leadership and a call to action.

We want to discuss building action after this conference and work with all genuine campaigns, activists and student unions to fight for the future of our education.

Youth Fight for Jobs & Socialist Students

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