Hardship protest held at Stormont last December
Said Cllr Harkin: “The SDLP are only now saying we are in a hardship emergency.
“In December they along with Sinn Féin and the DUP ignored a Hardship Emergency protest at Stormont and point-blank refused to back a People Before Profit motion in Stormont demanding the Assembly declare a Hardship Emergency with funding to help people in line with the scale of the cost of living crisis.
“Action on spiralling hardship should have been taken before the DUP’s reckless collapse of the Executive.
“The hardship warnings were as clear last year as they are now.
“Why didn’t the SDLP back these demands months ago when it was already clear Stormont’s response was criminally inadequate?
“Whether it’s reducing rent costs, supporting real pay increases, backing workers rights legislation or taking radical action to protect the least well-off in our communities – it’s not a priority for the Stormont Executive.
“This is more election hypocrisy from main parties determined not to take radical action that challenges the cosy status quo.
“It’s clear cost of living protests and workers strike action are beginning to put pressure on government and corporations.
“People power action is crucial to reordering politics and priorities away from elites to working class communities.
“We need to bring people power action to every town and city,” added the Derry councillor.
Tags: