PRESS RELEASE Friday 1st April 2022
Sheffield Peoples Assembly protest and leafleting
11am Saturday 2nd April outside Moor market
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“We need a 10% Pay Rise and we’ll fight for it!”
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This Tory Government has failed to protect us:
Just like it’s failed to protect RMT seafarers
sacked by P&O Ferries!
“Fuel bills are soaring by 50% this month – and that’s on top of food prices going through the roof,” said Martin Mayer, Secretary of Sheffield Trade Union Council. “Workers cannot pay for this crisis. The Government’s response has been appalling!”
Sheffield TUC will be supporting People’s Assembly protest and leafleting event outside Moor Market, tomorrow Saturday 2nd April 1130 to 1300hrs. The event will protest the cost-of-living crisis and show solidarity with 800 sacked RMT seafarers by P&O Ferries.
“Sheffield TUC blames the Government for failing to protect low paid workers. They control the incomes of millions of people, yet with RPI inflation already over 8% a month ago and rising, the rises they are handing out are already a cut in real terms for those on low incomes:
- Universal Credit and other benefits will only go up by 3.1% this month
- State pension goes up by only 3.1% this month
- Public sector workers yet again are hit: wages go up by just 1.75% – 3%
- National Minimum Wage for over 23’s goes up by 6.6% but that is still below actual increase in living costs
“Workers need to fight back if we are to survive this latest cost of living crisis,” said Martin Mayer. “Workers will need at least 10% pay rises to cover rising inflation – and recover some of the lost earnings over the last 10 years of wage stagnation. We say join a union now!”
Sheffield TUC also slammed Rishi Sunak’s response to the crisis. “The 5p fuel tax cut at the pumps is spread too thinly to have any real impact for low-income families. The £200 fuel subsidy is a loan so poor families will be saddled with a debt to pay off on top of even higher fuel bills in years to come. The £150 council tax rebate for low-income households is welcome but still far too little.
We need an immediate uplift in benefits like Universal Credit, a big cut in tax and N.I. for low paid workers – and above all a windfall tax on the energy companies who have been raking in huge profits,” said Martin Mayer. “Redistributing wealth has to be the key approach yet the Tories, Rishi Sunak and Andrew Bailey want the absolute opposite and make workers pay for the crisis.”
Tomorrow’s event will also be supported by Sheffield Climate Campaign Umbrella Group. “Now more than ever we need to switch from costly fossil fuels to cheaper green energy!” said Martin Mayer. “We need massive Government investment in wind, solar and water power and we need it now. We need to insulate people’s homes to save energy and reduce fuel bills. We need to invest in public transport and build new zero-emission council houses” he said. “This cost-of-living crisis is a wakeup call to respond to the climate emergency!”
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For comment, please contact Martin Mayer on 0776 107 8482
SHEFFIELD NEEDS A PAY RISE!
Sheffield TUC says all workers should join a union, especially workers on low pay. Our Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise campaign is there to help. Low pay not only means workers cannot live to an acceptable standard, it makes our working-class communities poorer and is bad for the local economy. For Sheffield to prosper we must end low pay now! We are helping to fund a Union Organiser in Sheffield with our partner the Bakers and Allied Food Workers Union to help low paid workers get organised and fight to raise their pay and conditions. Please get in touch if you are in a non-union workplace and want our help.