The current and previous governments' have made continual attacks on the poorest
and most powerless sections of the UK population. The rise of the gig economy andzero-hours contracts means that many working people don't even know how manyhours they'll actually be paid for next payday. What they do know for sure, isthat it'll be poverty pay with the minimum wage and so-called national livingwage at rock bottom in the UK's precarious and low-pay economy. ---- We've alsogot the attacks on those claiming benefits, whether in work or not, one of thegovernment's more callous actions being the £20 cut in Universal Credit. And forthose in work, the recent tax rises and the increase in national insurance (atruly regressive tax), as well as any annual wage increases coming nowhere nearmatching the current 5.4% increase in inflation, then workers and claimants arenow getting a serious hammering from the Johnson regime.So, while this is all happening, prices for even the most basic of necessitiesare increasing dramatically. Partly because of Brexit, partly the pandemic, butmostly because of government incompetence and capitalist greed, food prices arerising on a daily basis. Rents continue to be extortionate (a veritable gravytrain for private landlords), and are also increasing. Petrol and diesel haverisen drastically too.The biggest impact for many, however, is likely to be the rises in the price ofutility bills, electricity and gas, with some bills set to almost double thisyear. The upshot of this, during the cold weather season, is the stark choicebetween keeping warm, feeding yourself and your family, or paying the rent.It doesn't have to be this wayWe are reminded of the mass "can't pay, won't pay" campaign that defeated thePoll Tax. We are reminded of the days when working class people in Italy, whocouldn't afford to pay the massive price rises and went into supermarkets enmasse, filled their baskets and walked out together without paying. We arereminded of the various rent strikes that working class people, here in the UKand overseas, have undertaken over the years.What is needed is the building of a viable campaign against the current pricerises that are making it simply impossible for the poorest members of our classto survive. We in the ACG are keen to speak to and work with other groups,organisations and individuals who are also keen to build such a campaign.--Yet more price rises while the rich still profitAs we said in our recent article, Food, rent or heat? Fight back against risingprices, the current wave of massive price rises has by far the biggest impact onthe poorest and most vulnerable people here in the UK. In other words, those onlow pay or precarious contracts, those receiving benefits, the sick and disabled.We also pointed out that it's essential that we start to build an activeresistance to this attack on the least well off in society.This reality becomes ever more urgent, as today, we see that the energyregulator's new price cap will add hundreds of pounds onto millions of people'sannual gas and electricity bills. This will amount to an increase of more than£600 on those basic utilities for the average household.Of course, big fuel bills is not a disaster for everyone, because MPs get theirenergy bills paid for. In fact, MPs are claiming up to £3,500 for their secondhome energy costs while millions of us face spiralling utilities bills... billswhich the politicians refuse to do anything about.But it's not just gas and electricity bills causing hardship for many of us. Withrecent official figures showing the rate of inflation at its highest for thirtyyears, the cost of food is predicted to increase by £180 on average. For most ofus, especially the poorest members of the working class, this is a disaster.It's so bad that even capitalists like Iceland's Managing Director, RichardWalker, has said: "I think there are more food banks now than there are branchesof MacDonalds... This is no exaggeration: there are people out there facing thechoice between eating and heating, and we are losing customers to hunger."Far be it for us to agree with a capitalist, but in this instance, he is correct(though we would refer to ‘people' rather than ‘customers'). And for many, itreally is a choice between food or heating. However, while some more "humane"elements of the boss class might engage in philanthropic endeavours, call on thecurrent government to be kinder to the less well-off in society, or support theLabour Party, we in the ACG call for a more direct response from those of us mostaffected by rising prices.We have to build the resistance in our workplaces and communities and cometogether to fight such injustices as the £20 Universal Credit cut, as well asdevise viable and effective ways to resist price rises in food, gas and electricbills, rent and other necessities.Get in touchhttps://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2022/01/31/food-rent-or-heat-fight-back-against-rising-prices/https://www.anarchistcommunism.org/2022/02/03/yet-more-price-rises-while-the-rich-still-profit/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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