Cost of living rally in Cork to hear calls for intervention on price increases 

Mick Barry TD: 'An 80c increase in the minimum wage wouldn't be enough to feed the pigeons these days.'

People hit by the cost of living crisis have been urged to take to the streets this weekend to send a clear message to the Government ahead of the budget.

Thousands of people are expected to take part in the cost of living protest in Cork on Saturday — the second such rally in the city this year — ahead of what’s expected to be a much larger rally in Dublin later this month.

While an estimated 1,000 people attended the first cost of living rally in Cork in June, organisers predict significantly larger crowds will march on Saturday given the backdrop of soaring gas and electricity prices.

The rally — organised by a national cost of living campaign group made up of anti-poverty and housing campaigners, student unions, trade unionists, and political parties — will hear calls for government intervention to freeze gas and electricity price increases, for a cut and a freeze in the price of rent, and for price controls on food and other products.

Minimum wage

Just one day after the government approved an 80c increase to the minimum wage bringing it to €11.30 per hour from January, Socialist TD for Cork North Central, Mick Barry, said the rally will also hear calls for the introduction of a "decent living wage" and pay increases for all workers.

Mr Barry, who supports the introduction of a national minimum wage of €16 an hour, said the proposed 80c increase is less than the rate of inflation and effectively represents a pay cut for the country's lowest paid workers.

“An 80c increase in the minimum wage wouldn't be enough to feed the pigeons these days,” he said.

“It is out of sync with the lived experience of low-paid workers in this cost of living crisis. It's not possible to have a decent life in this country while being paid €11.30 an hour.

Profiteering

“The Government's hint that a windfall profits tax is under consideration is a tacit admission that profiteering is a major factor in this cost of living crisis.

“There is no place for profiteering — in energy supply, at the pumps, in the supermarkets, in the housing market — while our people are being made to suffer.

“Vast profits being made by corporations while people freeze in their homes and struggle to put food on the table is just not going to be tolerated.

“The Government are clearly under pressure now and the protests on September 17 in Cork and September 24 in Dublin must increase the pressure on them in the run-up to the budget."

The Cork protest will assemble at the Grand Parade at 2pm on Saturday.