‘We can’t pay’: Protestors demand action over cost of living crisis
Video report by Dean Thomas-Welch
A demonstration was held in Cardiff on Saturday over the rising cost of living and the soaring price of energy and other bills.
The protest, organised by The People’s Assembly, was one of dozens of locations across the UK highlighting the impact a combination of rising fuel and food prices, inflation and low pay is having on hundreds of thousands of people.
Protests also took place outside Downing Street in London, as well as in Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Doncaster, Glasgow, Hanley, Hull, Ipswich, Lancaster, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Preston, Redcar, Sheffield, and Southampton.
On Friday (April1), the UK saw the biggest jump in domestic energy bills in living memory as the energy price cap for those on default tariffs who pay by direct debit rose by £693 to £1,971.
Prepayment customers will see a bigger jump, with their price cap going up by £708 to £2,017.
Dominic MacAskill, Unison Cymru Wales head of bargaining and campaigns, said: "All public sector workers are being forced to deal with a toxic mix of a decade of cuts combined with low wages and sky high fuel and energy bills.
Unison is now calling for an immediate mileage rate rise from all local authorities and care providers in Wales as some are paying as little as 20p a mile meaning vulnerable people are being put at serious risk as carers can't afford to travel.
A spokesperson for The People's Assembly Against Austerity said: “Saturday will mark the third People's Assembly protest date of the year highlighting the cost of living crisis.
“The slogan “we can't pay" speaks to the reality facing millions of people who will see their energy prices increase roughly £700 pounds a year starting in April.
“Rishi Sunak's miserly spring budget statement last week confirms that the government will drive 1.3 million people into absolute poverty without offering adequate legislative assistance.
“Middle income and working class people in the UK are struggling to make ends meet with stagnant wages, inflation soaring over 7 percent and food prices rising at even a higher rate.”
Speaking ahead of the protests, a spokesperson for the UK government told ITV Wales: “We recognise the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, which is why we have set out a £22 billion package of support.
“This includes a £150 council tax rebate from April and a further £200 energy bill discount in October to cut energy bills quickly for the majority of households, while the energy price cap continues to insulate millions of customers from volatile global gas prices.”