THREAD: More than 50 young @theSNP members have signed an open letter opposing plans to staff vital public services during crises with a National Service-style unpaid workforce, demanding instead investment in our NHS & fair pay for workers. 1/5 https://www.thenational.scot/news/18438136.full-young-snp-activists-letter-stewart-mcdonald/

Signatories to this letter include healthcare workers, public sector workers, trade unionists & peace activists. We believe that any proposal involving young people, our NHS & its workforce must be led by young people, NHS bodies & trade unions. 2/5

We value community solidarity & resilience. Many of us volunteered even before #COVID19 in community groups & charities. But our NHS is not a charity. That idea is a Tory reframing to dodge culpability for having damaged Scotland's NHS through a decade of austerity. 3/5

Here's how to deliver real resilience:
Invest in our skilled & experienced NHS workforce, don't undercut it.
Guarantee equal employment rights & fair pay for young people, don't exploit us.
Give young Scots opportunities that fit our values, don't riff on militarism. 4/5

As young people and citizens, we demand investment to #ProtectOurNHS & its skilled workforce, equal employment rights for young workers, & opportunities for young people in line with our values. 5/5