Aberdeen residents gathered outside Marischal College to protest the “spiraling” cost of living.
Aberdeen Trades Union Council (ATUC) organised the event, which took place on Broad Street at 1pm on Saturday.
Despite the blue skies and sunshine, it was a chilly afternoon – but this did not deter union members and the public from taking part.
Speakers addressed the crowd, discussing their own experiences and the importance of fighting against austerity.
The speeches gradually drew more and more people to the event, one of many protests taking place across the country.
It was the second protest that ATUC has organised to address the cost of living crisis.
Tommy Campbell, retired union activist and protest organiser, explained that people had joined in the demonstration to show the government that “enough is enough”.
He said: “We’re part of a UK-wide protest by the people’s assembly against austerity and it’s to highlight the fact that we’re one of the richest countries in the world, yet we’ve got the worst levels of poverty.
“The cost of living increasing, particularly the energy bills that are going to come people’s way, we shouldn’t have older people, children or adults, deciding whether they’re going to heat or eat.
“It should be a human right that you have food on your table and warmth in your home.”
‘Ordinary people’ bearing the brunt
President of ATUC Graeme Farquhar spoke about the impending Aberdeen Council cuts, including the plans to raise council tax by 3.3%.
He highlighted the cost of school dinners could go up and free school breakfasts at seven primary schools are at risk.
Simon Watson, a regional organiser from Unison, believes “ordinary people” are bearing the brunt of the rising cost of living.
He said: “People are facing inflation at 30-year highs, food prices are meaning kids are going to school hungry, fuel prices are meaning pensioners are sat shivering at home, and welfare benefits are being cut in real terms.
“Universal credit has already been cut by £20 a week, a rise in national insurance is going to mean next month pay packets are going to be smaller than they are this month.
“Many pay rises are less than inflation, which is meaning in real terms a pay cut for many workers.”
Charities are working to ‘plug the gap’
A single mum from Woodside in Aberdeen shared her own lived experiences. She works in a nursery and explained she can see the poverty.
She said: “I see the foodbank giving out more and more, I see people coming to us begging for vouchers and I see kids who don’t have jackets, kids who are using our nursery to have a proper meal, and it’s wrong.”
AUTC member Doug Haywood agreed and described how charities are working hard to try to “plug the gap”.
He passionately urged people to take action and become organised claiming “together we can create radical change”.
Kate Ramsden from AUTC was the final speaker to address the crowd and she also used her time to urge more people to get involved and think about the more vulnerable people in society.
“Everybody here will have been seeing increases in their cost of living, increases in their food, increases in their fuel,” she said. “But can you imagine how that plays out with the poorest?”
