In the midst of the economic crisis, one of the worst in the history of capitalism, we can all be sure of one thing: that nothing will be the same again. The major economic actors agree with the unions that the crisis provides an opportunity for transforming and improving everyone’s quality of life.
The problem is that they have different perspectives and, often, have opposing views on how to get out of the crisis. And either way, the solution will need to tackle the problems facing the 12 million or so young people between 18 and 29 living in our country.
Based on CTA-Youth’s own figures, just 50% of the young people in that age range are in official employment. The other 50% have precarious jobs or are unemployed. According to our statistics, those 6 million young people with employment problems can be sub-divided into 2.5 million with precarious jobs, 2.5 million unemployed and 1 million totally excluded from the economic and social system, i.e. with no work, no education, no medical cover and no access to housing.
The solution to this scourge or massacre of jobs needs to consist of a comprehensive proposal for ending the problems of unemployment and restoring to young people the means to enjoy decent daily lives rather than merely surviving. Accordingly, last year CTA-Youth presented in the National Congress a Draft Law entitled “A First Employment and Training”, which aims to solve the employment problem and youth unemployment. But the draft law has been lying around the offices of members of parliament.
We stressed, moreover, that young people are not simply facing employment problems, but also have problems of access to education and health care and severe problems of access to housing.
We think it is time for society to stop looking aside or lowering their car windows as they meet young people with problems at every corner and every pedestrian crossing. The first step should be to recognise the reality as we ourselves, as young workers’, cultural or social organisations, have been doing. But this message is not getting across.
We need to end the hypocrisy and decide as workers how to tackle the problems afflicting our society. Because the truth is that the rich and powerful are feeding off these conflicts and making money from them. It’s like asking the agricultural landowners to divide their huge profits amongst the poorest schools in our country.
We must ensure that in future employment is not just an abstract slogan, but becomes a reality for all young Argentineans.
