Parents going hungry to feed their children and food bank organisers panicking as they see a future which is only going to get worse as companies start to shed jobs.
Poverty is a health hazard. It damages people physically and mentally. It humiliates and causes major stress. Imagine the shame that not being able to feed your family properly would cause, the stress and pain of having to bear public humiliation. This wasn’t unusual, as we also heard that schools who were trying to access the vouchers couldn’t log onto the system and had to tell parents their visit to the supermarket to feed the kids was on hold again. Absolutely unacceptable way for people to be treated in this day and age, in this country.
Benefits claims are up 128% including to the 2.8million unemployed.
Universal credit is not enough to stay out of debt and pay bill demands.
In work poverty is a major problem as highlighted by Labour MP Rebecca Long Bailey this week even with the recent minimum wage increase of 6.2%. This means it goes up to £8.72 for people aged 25 and over and for those aged 18-20 yr old the not so princely sum of £6.45 an hour.
Parents going hungry to feed their children and food bank organisers panicking as they see a future which is only going to get worse as companies start to shed jobs. Our union and every progressive organisation need to come together and keep the Marcus Rashford initiative top of our agenda.
It needs to be to the forefront of our minds when we step up to fight redundancies. These jobs under threat are ours and for future generations, unemployment drives down tax revenues and increases benefits demands, further undermining the economy and the downward spiral continues. We need to be ready to challenge every job loss, using everything we can in our battles against job and services cuts. Industrial struggle, legal action and political support. Let’s not take our foot off the pedestal, fight poverty and look for a better way that what we have now.
Neil Smith
Regional Political Officer
GMB Trade Union
