A campaign to encourage organisations to do more to combat the cost of living crisis will be hosting another rally in Manchester city centre this weekend as part of a national day of action - with a former Coronation Street actor stepping up to speak at the event.
Enough is Enough, a national campaign created by trade unions and community organisations to help battle the cost of living crisis, launched in Manchester at an event in the Cathedral on August 30, where organisers say over 5,000 people attended to hear from mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and RMT member Eddie Dempsey.
The event officially launched the campaign in the city region, with over 500,000 people across the country signed up to support the organisation's five demands within the first month. The group is pushing for: a real pay rise, lower energy bills, an end to food poverty, decent homes for everyone, and more taxation on the top five per cent of earners and big businesses.
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Whilst some of the group's demands have been partially met, including a reversal of the recent National Insurance payment increase from 12 per cent up to 13.5 per cent and a temporary cap to energy bill prices, a national day of action on Saturday, October 1, will see demonstrations held in dozens of cities across the UK, including London, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Birmingham.
The Manchester Event will be held at Piccadilly Gardens from 12pm, with Trade Unions and former Coronation Street actor Lamin Touray lined up to speak at the rally. Mr Touray, who played footballer Ashley Hardcastle in several episodes of the popular soap, said: "I saw the Enough is Enough campaign and just thought, that's exactly what everyone is feeling. I don't think anyone remembers when times have been this hard. Government needs to sit up and listen to the people - it can't go on like this!"
Hundreds of workers are expected to step out on strike on October 1, in what Enough is Enough organisers are calling the "biggest day of strike action in the UK since the early 90s". The Communication Workers Union, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association are all set to have members striking that day, with train and postal disruptions expected across the country.
Clare Kelly, self employed tradesperson from Stretford who has joined the campaign, said: "Government aren't going to help us. When you're self employed like me all our bills are shooting through the roof. "I have friends that run pubs who just don't know how they're going to pay the bills. And all the while they're cutting taxes for the super rich and lifting pay caps on bankers pay. If government aren't going to step in, we're going to have to help ourselves, help each other."
"The demands are one thing," says Joe, a support worker and member of community campaign group 0161 who are backing the campaign. "We've got to make the demands from government but we're going to have to look after each other too - making sure the people who can't put the gas on this winter, who can't afford the bills or pay the groceries or have the bailiffs knocking on the door, are getting direct support from their communities. If working class people don't help themselves, it's pretty clear no-one else is."
Organisers behind Enough is Enough have stated plans to bring together foodbanks, debt support groups, clothes banks, and groups helping people at threat of eviction to try and give direct support to people impacted the most by the cost of living crisis. So far, almost 1,500 people have responded to this weekend's Facebook event to say they'll be attending the Manchester rally.
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