Unite Launch Cost Of Living Campaign
Unite the Union have started a campaign on the "cost of living crisis at the back of the budget announcement and implementation".
A statement from Unite the Union follows below:
We have kick started a campaign on the cost of living crisis at the back of the budget announcement and implementation.
We have held a number of meetings of Officers, Convenors, Industrial Branch Officials and Branches were we explained the contents of the meeting with the Chief Minister* and a unanimous decision was taken to commence a campaign which has kicked off with the leaflet.
We have commissioned with the help of our General Secretary the expertise of two economist which will undertake an economic and political analysis of Gibraltar. A lot of work is being undertaken behind the scenes.
The reality of the situation is that this is the biggest wage squeeze at least in my time and workers on the lowest pay spectrum are finding it hard to put a plate of food in the table. Remember this is only the beginning of the implemented measures, in a year’s time if we don’t put some remedies to the situation it could be even worse, as all workers are feeling the pinch, the rising cost of goods, petrol etc which is astronomical is affecting the whole community.
We call on all political parties to debate on solutions enough on the past regarding overspend and debate on an economic recovery plan that does not hit on the pockets of working people and the most vulnerable in our community.
NOTE *
- Chief Minister offered in our meeting to look at hardship cases and those in the public sector who could be below the UK parity margins. Something we welcome but not enough. Note in an exercise conducted by Shop Stewards and corroborated by the economist what comes to light is that the 40% differentials in basic pay of public sector with their UK counterparts which has been quoted by Government on number of occasions is not the reality of the majority of public sector.
