STRIKE action often makes life difficult for all of us — including, of course, those people on strike… but what’s the alternative?
Over the last 12 years wages have fallen massively in “buying power,” and many jobs have been scrapped so that workers (just about all of us) are forced to work longer hours, with bigger targets, for pay that buys less and less.
There is every sign that this will continue.
Meanwhile, the big businesses that are running our services — energy, fuel, transport, post and communications, the health service, education — are making billions in profit, which goes on huge CEO salaries and bonuses and shareholder payouts.
Fossil fuel companies have been reaping record-breaking profits, while continuing to worsen the climate crisis for us and people throughout the world.
The cost of living — housing, food, heating and other essentials — is accelerating every day, as is foodbank use and debt.
Yet workers (all of us) are told we have to accept more pay cuts — far less than inflation — and that there will be MORE cuts to benefits and public services.
Later this month, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver the financial statement and he has already said that “tough choices” have to be made, with “eye-watering” consequences.
This means further brutal austerity measures which will not only disastrously affect the 14.5 million people already living in poverty — including 4.3 million children — but also all of us who are finding it increasingly difficult and impossible to manage.
The employers and politicians leave us to face hardship and growing poverty, and use racism to try to divide us and divert blame from themselves for the state we are in.
That’s why we all need to stand up for ourselves — together — and to support workers and unions who are saying “Enough is enough.”
We are likely to see more strikes from civil servants to nurses, from fast-food workers to binmen, from teachers to dockers, from barristers to midwives.
They do not want to strike but have reached the end of their tether — and are all saying that the welfare of our people must come first, instead of massive personal and corporate wealth and power of billionaires.
Today many Derby people will be joining a big demonstration in London against more austerity, hardship and poverty. But this won’t be put right until whole communities throughout Britain say “Enough is enough!”
Signed:
Joginder Bains, Indian Workers Association, Derby
Bob Bonner, Derby music promoter
Vanessa Boon, FairChanceDerby
Rob Davidson, Aslef rail union Derby
Marios Doucas, Derby People’s Assembly
Joel Else, schools and education campaigner
Gez, Musician and AlphaProCreative — Derby
Bill Greenshields, William Paul Society
Moz Greenshields, Derby Silk Mill Festival
Colin Hampton, Derby Unemployed Workers Centre
Mark Harper, CWU post workers union Midlands
Paul Hardy, Unison Health and Derby SOSNHS
Julie Heron, Mandela Centre and “No Hungry Child” Derby
John Holmes, RMT transport union Derby
Ian Hunter, Derby Universal Credit Campaign
Sam Milnes, Solidarity Foodbank — Derby
Mair Perkins, Extinction Rebellion
Adrian Perry, Solidarity community organiser
Sonya Robotham, Black Community Matters
Elaine Rhatigan, housing campaigner
Chris Sheldon, CWU post workers union Derby
Sophie Sparham, Derby poet and performer
Danny Stevenson, Derby United Against Poverty
Eamonn Tague, Aslef rail union Midlands
Andy Till, housing campaigner
John Watson, RMT transport union Midlands
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