The new campaign, Enough is Enough, which held its launch rally on 17 August is holding further events, in Manchester on 30 August and Liverpool on 2 September (details below).
The campaign, initiated by a number of organisations, including the Communications Workers Union (CWU) and Tribune, is supported by: the CWU, Tribune, ACORN, Fans Supporting Foodbanks, Right to Food Campaign, Zarah Sultana MP and Ian Byrne MP. It has already been endorsed by a number of organisations, including the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). RMT general secretary Mick Lynch was a keynote speaker at the campaign’s launch rally.
All those who oppose the Tories’ austerity offensive should support this new campaign.
Details of the next two rallies
Manchester – Tuesday, 30 August 7pm
Manchester Cathedral, M3 1SX
Andy Burnham, GM Mayor
Mick Lynch, RMT
Dave Ward, CWU
Zarah Sultana MP
Eddie Dempsey, RMT
Register here
Liverpool – Friday, 2 September 7pm
St. George’s Hall, L1 1JJ
Ian Byrne MP
Dave Ward, CWU
Zarah Sultana MP
Eddie Dempsey, RMT
Limited tickets on the door
Enough is Enough (website here, Twitter: @eiecampaign ) has the following five demands:
1. A Real Pay Rise
A significant rise in the national minimum wage and a path to £15 an hour, a real public sector pay rise, and an inflation busting-rise in pensions and benefits.
After decades of stagnation and real terms pay cuts, it’s time for a real pay rise.
That means rewarding the people who actually run this country, not the fat cats. We need public sector pay to increase in line with inflation and a pathway to a £15 p/h minimum wage.
It’s not just about those in work, either. There needs to be the same increase in pensions and benefits to ensure those who need support aren’t left behind.
Dodgy bosses shouldn’t be allowed to run rampant whilst employees feel the squeeze. We need to rebuild workers rights by restoring the right to effectively strike and banning zero-hours contracts and exploitative practices.
2. Slash Energy Bills
Cancel the October price hike and return to the significantly lower pre-April energy price cap
Energy bills are rocketing while fossil fuel giants make record profits. It’s set to get worse, with the energy price cap expected to soar to nearly £4,000 this winter. This increase will drag people under the poverty line, causing many to choose between heating and eating.
The government must face up to the reality that millions of people cannot take this price hike.
As an immediate measure, the October price hike should be cancelled and the significantly lower pre-April price cap restored, at £1,277 per year.
But that’s just the start: to address this long-term, energy companies must be brought into public ownership, with public investment in renewable energy to break the power of the oil giants.
3. End Food Poverty
Enshrine the Right to Food in law and put this into practice by introducing universal free school meals, community kitchens, and reinstating the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift.
Queues outside food banks and kids going hungry is a national disgrace. It’s time to put an end to that, once and for all.
Food is a basic right and that needs to be put into practice, introducing universal free school meals, community kitchens, and reinstating the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift.
No government can be allowed to dodge this duty, with a new independent regulatory body created that will hold the government to account with oversight and endorsement powers.
4. Decent Homes for All
Cap rents, build 100,000+ council homes a year, insulate homes and introduce a charter for renters’ rights.
The housing market is rigged, making fortunes for property developers and greedy landlords while ripping-off millions, whether it’s through sky-high rents, abysmal quality or lack of availability.
Everyone should be guaranteed decent housing: capping rents and building 100,000+ public and council houses a year, improving quality by insulating homes and introducing a charter for renters’ rights and ensuring standards, especially in Housing Association facilities.
To ensure a decent supply of public housing and scrap right-to-buy. And as interest rates rise, no return to foreclosures: cap mortgage repayments for at-risk homeowners.
Limit the number of holiday homes in any area, limit AirBnBs and ensure they are taxed properly.
5. Tax the Rich
Make the rich pay their fair share by raising taxes on the wealthiest and the profits of big businesses. Crack down on tax avoidance and evasion.
Big business and the super-rich have never had it so good. Britain has a record number of billionaires and multinational corporations are making record profits. It’s time we finally made them pay their fair share.
This can be done by introducing a wealth tax, raising taxes on corporate profits and on the top 5% of earners, closing tax dodging loopholes and abolishing non-dom status, increasing capital gains tax, and introducing new taxes on speculation.
And alongside that, we should be cutting the tax burden on working people, starting by reversing the recent hike to National Insurance.