Workers are leading the fightback against the crisis, and community campaigns are springing up. Coalitions like Enough is Enough and the People’s Assembly have called national protests and rallies. Campaigns like Don’t Pay are calling national days of action against rip off energy bills.
Cost of Living Action is not an attempt to rival or replicate any of these efforts. We came together as a network of activists, organisations and grassroots campaigns with a specific call for united organising assemblies in local areas:
Statement
Everything is going up: our food costs, our bills, our rent, our mortgage and debt payments. The wealth of billionaires, the profits of big businesses and the CO2 we pump into the atmosphere are going up too. The only thing that isn’t is our pay.
The rich and politicians are making everyone else pay for this crisis. Once again, after a decade of austerity, the most marginalised people are at the sharp end. More than ever, we must build solidarity and amplify the voices and struggles that are too often ignored, and act in solidarity with people across the world who are taking action.
Workers and unions are mobilising to stop pay cuts, starting with the RMT strikes in June. Tens of thousands have already marched, and thousands more are taking direct action against the fossil fuel industry. When bills go up again in October, many will collectively refuse to pay. Renters’ unions are organising eviction resistance. In many areas, people are supporting each other with mutual aid and solidarity networks. Faced with a government campaign of authoritarianism and racist migrant scapegoating, communities have united to stop deportations and resist police oppression.
Across every town, city and neighbourhood, we need to unite these acts of resistance to reach as many people as possible and organise: for strikes, protests, non-payment campaigns and solidarity. That is why we are joining forces to call for local action meetings in September and beyond. Through these meetings and the alliances forged, we can help to organise a huge movement around this crisis.
Signed by:
Fuel Poverty Action
London Renters’ Union
Global Justice Now
Young Greens
SWARM
Another Europe is Possible
Just Stop Oil
Social Housing Action Campaign
Covid Action
LGBT+ Socialists
Nadia Whittome MP
John McDonnell MP
Chantelle Lunt, Black Lives Matter Merseyside
Joe Ryle, 4 Day Week Campaign director
Michael Forster, Health Campaigns Together chair
Our aim is to amplify all of the campaigns around the Cost of Living crisis, and to call for united local assemblies to organise the emerging movement. As well as the organisations that have initiated Cost of Living Action, and our events map, we are fully committed to working co-operatively with initiatives like Enough is Enough and Don’t Pay.
