A meeting is to be held in Derry this week over the cost of living crisis facing families across the city.
“One-off payments to help with rising fuel and food costs are welcome but will soon be used up – what’s needed are significant increases in benefit levels and wage rises that are in line with or above inflation rates”, warns a new Northern Ireland wide Cost of Living campaign.
The campaign has been launched amid fears that the Cost of Living crisis will see families go hungry and cold over the coming winter.
The Cost of Living Campaign is backed by a range of anti-poverty groups including the National Energy Agency NI, NI Anti Poverty Network, Women’s Resource and Development Agency, Rural Community Network, Women’s Support Network and the NI Rural Women’s Network, a number of trade union branches, as well as Councillors from People Before Profit, independent Councillors and individual anti-poverty campaigners.
The campaign is planning a series of public meetings across the region over the next few weeks, starting with in the Playhouse, Derry this coming Wednesday, June 8 at 7.00pm.
The meetings are to open to all and it is hoped that they will start to build support for protests that are to happen across Britain and Ireland over the coming month.
Campaign spokesperson Goretti Horgan, who is vice-chair of the NI Anti Poverty Network, said: “Politicians have known for some time that this cost of living crisis was coming.
“Food and energy prices have been rising steadily over the last 12 months with recent analysis from the Office for National Statistics suggesting that the price of basic foods are rising much faster than inflation generally.
“For example, the price of basic foods like pasta, bread and milk have increased by 40-30%.
“Since we know that lower-income families spend a larger share of their budgets on basics such as food and energy than richer households, there is a real fear that rather than having to choose between heating and eating, some families will not be able to afford to do either.
“The latest price hike from SSE Electricity comes on top of earlier price increases in both electricity and gas. While the announcements from Westminster about help for households with soaring fuel bills is welcome, these are one-off payments while the increase in cost of living will be permanent.
“We need to see significant increases in benefit levels and wage rises that are in line with or above inflation rates.
“We need to build a mass campaign across all communities in the North to ensure the kind of pressure needed from below to force the kinds of upratings of benefits and wage rises needed if families are to avoid destitution.
“That starts in Derry on Wednesday night in the Playhouse and in other towns in the coming weeks.”
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