Aberdeen TUC calls for public protest against proposed City Council budget cuts

Aberdeen Trades Union Council has called for a public protest against cuts proposed by Aberdeen City Council which includes ending the financial support of £1.5 million to the Fairer Aberdeen Fund.

This proposal along with all the financial cuts proposed will have a detrimental and catastrophic effect on many community organisations in Aberdeen, who are giving critical support to people hardship and poverty due to the cost of living crisis.

The council is meeting this Wednesday 1st March at 10.30am to set its annual budget. Councillors are considering cuts of £40 million.

Graeme Farquhar, President of Aberdeen TUC, said today: “We are calling on all trade unionists, community organisations and members of the public to join us for a public protest at 10am on Wednesday 1st March outside the Town House on Broad Street." 

Enough is Enough! Join the cost of living protest tomorrow at 11am Marischal College

Aberdeen Trades Union Council is urging all delegates, affiliates, families and friends to join the cost of living protest organised by ATUC and Peoples' Assembly on Saturday 1st October at 11am at Marischal College, Aberdeen, to demand action on the Cost of Living Crisis.

People in all parts of Aberdeen are suffering from the cost-of-living crisis - fuel poverty, food poverty, poverty pay. Families live in fear of putting heating on, and worry how much prices will have risen when they next have to go to the shops. 

Food banks have become a normal part of life. Many workers pay is falling far below rising prices. But at the same time, some major companies and individuals are seeing their wealth and profits spiral upwards.

On 1 October the energy price cap will increase again, and Aberdeen TUC, with Grampian Peoples Assembly and other organisations, is calling on people and organisations across Aberdeen to gather at 11am to 12 noon in Marischal Square. Together, we need to support each other. Together, we need to demand that politicians take action to protect people at this critical time.

There will be a few speakers from community organisations and trade unions, a little music, but also an open mic where you are invited to contribute your experiences and views.

Please come, and invite your friends, family, and members of your organisation to come too.

If you want to contact the organisers, you can email grampianpeoplesassembly@gmail.com. Please circulate this appeal onwards.

Morning Star Conference 2 October in STUC building, Glasgow and online - please come along

The Morning Star will hold its Scottish Conference on Sunday 2nd October 2022 from 12 noon till 4pm in the STUC Building, 8 Landressy St, Bridgeton G40 1BP. You can also join online.

The Conference is entitled "The Crisis Economic, social and political. How to resolve it" with sessions on the causes of the cost of living crisis, the human consequences of the crisis and a final session on how to solve it - asserting the democratic power of the working people.

ATUC delegate, Kate Ramsden will be one of the speakers, who also include Roz Foyer, General Secretary, STUC, Ben Chacko, editor, Morning Star, Alex Gordon, President of the RMT, Mercedes Villalba, MSP and many more. The conference will be chaired by Lynn Henderson, PCS.

You can join in person or on Zoom attendance https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85143972827

Please come along and hear some great political debate and support the Morning Star.

ATUC protests cost of living crisis and demands rich pay their fair share

Aberdeen Trades Union Council delegates were out on the streets protesting cost of living rises that are crippling working people and forcing the poorest to choose between eating and heating their homes.

Whilst president Graeme Farquhar took the ATUC banner to London and joined Kate Ramsden, Kathleen Kennedy, Andrew Burns and 100,000 other marchers on the TUC "We demand better" march and rally, other delegates were at a stall in St Nicholas Square, Aberdeen, making the arguments locally for action to deal with the crisis.

Graeme said, "It was an uplifting event and great to march with so many like minded people.

"It was also great to see so many women in the leadership of our union movement."

Join our May Day March and Rally on Saturday 7th May and call for peace and prosperity for all

PEACE & PROSPERITY FOR ALL

 

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ DAY

MAY DAY MARCH AND RALLY

SATURDAY 7^TH MAY 2022

Gather at Rubislaw Terrace (just off Albyn Place) from 11.00am

March leaves at 11.30am for a Rally in the Castlegate at 12.00 noon

 All welcome,  bring your banners & placards. There will be a  pipe band, drummers , songs, speeches and poetry.

 

Second Aberdeen protest against crippling cost of living rises at 1pm on Saturday 5 March outside Mariscal College

Aberdeen Trades Union Council is urging its delegates, affiliates and the the citizens of North East Scotland to join their second protest against spiralling cost of living rises.
It will be held this  Saturday 5th March at 1pm outside Marischal College, Aberdeen.

Click here for the Facebook event

This will be one of many protests being held across the country, as rising costs of food, fuel and other necessities already begin to bite, with local food banks experiencing significant increases in demand.

Tommy Campbell, ATUC retired union member delegate and protest organiser said: “ Yet again it is ordinary working people paying the price, whilst the energy companies make massive profits for their rich  shareholders. Once again it is the low paid and the poorest in our communities, older people and those with disabilities, that will be hardest hit" 

Maggie Cooper speaking at the Cost of Living Crisis protest slams child poverty as "unacceptable" and demands oil and gas companies repay "obscene profits"

Maggie Cooper

Maggie Cooper, retired social worker speaking at the Cost of Living Crisis protest about the impact of poverty on people’s lives, and demanding that the oil and gas giants pay for this crisis, not ordinary people. Time to reverse Thatcher’s attacks on working folk.   

We’ve gathered today to express concern about the current economic crisis . Apparently ‘ we’re all in this together’. Aye right!      

While I believe inflation is currently running at an all-time high this is effecting poorer people disproportionately.

Food and fuel account for a greater proportion of poorer people’s income. Most supermarket budget brand staple foods have risen by a higher percentage of original cost. Fuel supplied by card meter costs significantly more.

There has been a dramatic increase in food bank usage , where incidentally not all beneficiaries are unemployed. The so called ‘gig economy’ with zero hours contracts resulting in insecure earnings means workers can’t rely on a fixed income. Debts spiral while awaiting payment of benefit. 

While company bosses and shareholders net huge profits and misuse furlough schemes … many having paid staff off during the pandemic. By the way  if you’re going for a drink after this please give Archie’s a body swerve!

We are swiftly returning to an era when workers were without rights at the mercy of unscrupulous employers. Don’t let this happen to you . Join a union!    

We need an economy that acts for all of us, not a privileged clique, demands ATUC's Doug Haywood

Doug Haywood

Doug Haywood spoke at the Cost of Living Crisis Protest on 12th February on behalf of Aberdeen Trade Union Council. He gave a passionate speech, urging people to "Use your rage. Together we are powerful."

"Hello everybody, thanks for coming on such a cold Saturday afternoon.

We’re here again.

It’s a, grim, grinding pattern. Prices rise, rents rise, bills rise. Wages stay the same, or hours are cut, often to the insidious zero hour’s contract.

People are forced to choose between heating and eating. Between shoes for the bairn or decent food on their plate.  In one of the richest countries in the world.

And let’s not forget those new to Aberdeen, refugees fleeing persecution, terror and war, now housed with a corporate landlord (on Crown Street), patronised with £7 a week pocket money. With no shoes, and barely adequate clothing for an Aberdeen winter.

Meanwhile, the privileged blithely expand their exploitation.

The consequence-free corporate pleasure-cruise carries on. To take just one example, BP recently reported its highest profits since 2013. A $12.8bn windfall annual profit. $12.8bn. That is simply obscene.

"Trickle down capitalism isn't working. It's time for a change" Ross Cassie addresses the protest

Ross Cassie

Here, Ross Cassie, SNP councillor and ATUC Consultative member addresses the Cost Of LIving protest.

"This cost-of-living crisis has been in the making for more than a decade now. This is the year it hits.

We must also not forget that the route to this goes back even further. Scotland has not voted for a Tory Government since 1955. That’s 6 years before I was born. All of us are paying for their repugnant policies now.  Well almost all, more of which later.

2010 brought us the Tory Lib Dem coalition and a decade of austerity. Add to that the effects of a hard Brexit brought about by the far-right ideologists that now run the tory party.

Food prices are increasing, and the boss of Tesco’s says we have not seen the worst of it yet.

Ofgem have just announced the price cap on our household energy will increase by 54%. That’s almost £700 per year. No one can absorb that hike in prices given that inflation is running at over 5% and pay awards are generally below that. In effect pay cuts.

There will be further fuel bill rises announced in October on top of what you are being expected to pay from April.

So what has the UK Government offered to help with these fuel bill rises?They offer us a loan. £200 woopy do the cost went up £700. Next year you start to pay back that loan at £40 per year. 

"Cost of living crisis affects everyone but those who are hard up suffer most." Protest speech by Simon Watson

Simon Watson

Here is Simon Watson's inspiring speech for the Cost of Living Crisis protest on 12 Feb 2022

"Hi, I’m Simon Watson, Regional Organiser for UNISON 

 

It’s great to see you’ve turned out at short notice in the changeable Aberdeen weather to make a statement about this huge issue for union members, and working people generally.  This is the only the start of what needs to be done. 

 

We’ve been through two years of a pandemic which has demonstrated that the real critical workers in our society are the cleaners, the carers, the health, schools, and other public service workers. 

 

They have put themselves, their health and the health of their families on the line to keep us all going.  But now fuel bills are rocketing £700 a year, National Insurance going up by 10%, Inflation hitting 7% - and real inflation for those on lower incomes is much more than that. 

 

Even the punitive social security system benefits are being cut in real terms, and that’s without the £20 being removed from Universal credit.  Let’s not forget that most households claiming benefits have people who are working. 

 

The distant memory of Boris Johnson asking people to clap for our carers now seems like very cold comfort. 

Cost of Living protest in Aberdeen on 12th Feb 2022 - the first of many

 ATUC's protest on the spiralling cost of living attracted around 50 people, angry at the soarings costs of food, fuel and other basics and the impact that will have on all of us but especially low paid workers and thos on benefits.

We had some excellent speakers and will post their speeches on this blog.

The event was chaired by ATUC member and previous president, Kate Ramsden. Welcoming participants to the event, on such a cold, wet afternoon, Kate spoke of the importance of coming together to give a clear message that ordinary workers must not be left paying the price of  the cost of living crisis in the fifth richest country in the world. 

"There is no less money that there always was," slammed Kate. "It's just in the wrong hands."