The Unite Union is using a billboard campaign as the first stage towards seeking an answer as to who is responsible for the crisis.
From workplace to community, the union is leading a UK-wide strategy to help bring change to ‘heartland’ communities and has accused politicians of failing to act. With the aim of unifying collectivism comunities, the Union will now look to drive the political agenda rather than commenting on it.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Over the last 12 months Unite has delivered at the workplace winning over £100 million for members in dispute. As promised in my manifesto Unite will now use that power to do the same within our communities.
“Too often workers are taken for granted, their concerns ignored whilst politicians protect corporate profits at the expense of wages and services.
“No amount of lobbying in Westminster will change that. We need a totally new approach.
“We need to build power in our workplaces and simultaneously organise in our communities. Unite will establish permanent bases on the ground to work with workers within their communities. We will help deliver practical change that people can touch and feel. And we will develop our own programme - a Workers' Manifesto.
“It’s time to do things differently. It is time for the trade union movement to lead.”
The Unite Union has included Derby as one of nine locations in which a billboard will be sited - with the City seen as one of the key political battle grounds up and down the UK.
Key messages will be put across to start the campaign as part of plans to take the union's own 'Jobs, Pay and Conditions movement into local communities. The strategy will connect with workplace activity with local communities where there is an aim to develop a unity of purpose over a period of time.
Sharon Graham said: “Our economy isn’t working for workers, only for corporate Britain and its rich backers. It’s time for workers and communities to fight back. It’s time for us to build a movement for real change based on a unity of the workplace with local communities - popular working class power.”
Unite has called for status quo to be challenged, and wants workers and communities from across the political spectrum can join together to call for higher wages, freedom from fuel and food poverty, and pensions that allow members to retire comfortably.
A Unite statement said that [rofits in Britain’s top companies are up by 47 per cent but that it was predicted that workers’ real wages could experience the biggest fall in 100 years. Meanwhile the food bank charity, The Trussell Trust, is handing out emergency food parcels every 13 seconds as demand soars amid the cost of living crisis.
The statement ended by saying that the situation cannot stand any longer without persistent, permanent challenge and that only a rebirth of the trade union movement to become the lifeblood of local communities could help drive that change.