PCS fully support the action taken on Saturday by the People’s Assembly – we need to keep highlighting the impact on people of this government’s pernicious policies.

• Biggest cost of living crisis since records began, people unable to heat their homes and cook their food
• Workers enduring a pay freeze after over a decade of Tory rule, effectively resulting in pay cuts due to rising inflation
• Our social security system is broken and not reaching those in need – we have lies to pensioners about maintaining pensions levels, where already we have one of the lowest pension rates in Europe
• Social care and NHS are not linked and are severely lacking investment – profit over people time and time again, causing unimaginable harm
• A huge segment of this country is living with poverty wages and poverty benefit levels
• Foodbanks normalised not seen as a stain and a shame on this country

The core principles of this government are rooted in money and greed. We saw that in their PPE scandals, Test and Trace scandals – essentially handing billions to their mates and not even providing a service.

They are extreme and rabid in their pursuit of money for the few and financial opportunities for their cronies – there is no care for ordinary people, we are just fodder for what feels like the Tory Squid Game.

In PCS we support rights and dignity for workers – not the disgraceful behaviour of P+O – we are fully behind and support RMT in their campaign and extend our solidarity again to those workers.

Be assured, the government will not be the defender of workers’ rights, unions must stand up for all. In the DWP, the government is closing offices, scrapping our members after saying they were ‘miracle workers’ in the pandemic.

We need collective action on socialist principles, making a society that values people not profit and an end to this government with its one rule for them and another for us.

Solidarity from PCS.

Bridget Corcoran