Saf, Birmingham Socialist Party
Socialist Party campaigning on the minimum wage, speaking to people around Birmingham, shows how many people support increasing the minimum wage to £15 an hour, or more. The working class has experienced multiple cost-of-living crises in the past decade, continuing now with the disaster caused by Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East.
Whilst families are struggling between choosing food or paying the heating bill, big business are making billions in profit. Tesco made £2.3 billion profit last year.
Imagine their profits for this year! All those billions, but none to show for their workers.
Now Labour under Andy Burnham has dropped another promise. The youth minimum wage rates are £2-£5 lower.
Labour previously said they’d close this gap. But now they won’t. The lower youth rate should be abolished.
We also have a huge issue with rent. Prices are beyond what a minimum-wage worker can afford.
We are not asking for much. The government is already subsidising companies paying poverty wages.
All these billion-dollar companies can afford more than enough to pay fair wages and more. But choose not to maximise profit and increase their wealth.
Bills are increasing. So wages should increase too!
Alongside, there needs to be a ban on zero-hour contracts. Labour promised to increase workers’ rights. But it has been watered down and delayed.
The working class is facing a cost-of-living crisis, which we didn’t cause, but have to pay for.
