Dark day for Britain

Today, Monday June 22, David Cameron has shown how tough he is with further attacks on working people and their families.

In a speech he made in Runcorn further cuts of £1,400 from the incomes of the country’s poorest were confirmed.

“If Cameron was serious about creating a fairer society he would do one thing now – he would raise the minimum wage by £1.50 per hour,” said Steve Turner, Unite assistant general secretary.

Instead, by continuing with brutal cuts people will be worried sick about how they will cope with this latest government attack.

“The government asserts that people struggling on low wages can be helped, but offers no action to increase wages,” he added.

More uncertainty has been created for millions of people who need to know what their income will be each week.

“The prime minister says that he wants people to be supported in better paid work but the reality is that austerity economics have built a low pay, insecure jobs market,” added Steve.

Nearly 700,000 people are now on zero hours contracts and many thousands more are on short-hours contracts.

“The consequence is that desperate working people will now scrabble for more hours at work or try to juggle two or three jobs,” Steve added.

“Heaven help anybody on low pay who is trying to raise a family for this government is most definitely a government not on your side.”

Raising the minimum wage by ÂŁ1.50 per hour would lift people off the breadline, make big businesses pay their way and shave billions off of the benefits bill. It would stimulate local economics and create 30,000 jobs.

“But instead, the prime minister pretends he’s tough by pandering to his own right wing corporate Britain looking for ever greater profits and attacking working people and their families. This is an obscene abuse of political power and a very dark day for equality in Britain,” said Steve.