The Uk's Trade Union Confederation (TUC) warned on February 7 that prices are soaring and low-income workers in the UK are facing an "extreme difficult period".
According to a new survey by the Union Confederation, the number of workers receiving the lowest universal credit is 1.3 million higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK government's current support measures for low-income families are "completely inadequate" to practical difficulties. The union coalition asked the government to strengthen support for low-income families.
The report shows that one in 8 workers surveyed said they would experience difficulties in paying for minimum subsistence needs in the coming months. "Millions of low-wage workers are experiencing multiple hardships", "energy prices are soaring, and social security taxes (prélèvements sociaux) are increasing".
The union coalition notes that energy groups "cannot make a lot of money when so many people are having heating difficulties."
Last week, Shell announced a profit of $20 billion in 2021, with a large portion of that profit coming from soaring hydrocarbon prices. At the same time, the power sector announced an increase in the upper limit of energy prices, which will soon reach 54%.
Supermarket giant Tesco bosses said on Feb. 6 that food prices in the UK would continue to rise and that "things will be worse in the future". Prices at Tesco supermarkets rose by an average of only 1 percent last quarter and will rise 5 percent in the coming months, he said. He cautioned that this has a greater impact on low-income households, who spend the largest portion of their income on food.
The Bank of England said inflation in the UK would reach 5.4% at the end of 2021, the highest in 30 years, and will reach 7.25% between now and April. The Bank of England also said it would not take two years for inflation to return to normal levels. The normal inflation rate set by the Bank of England is 2%. #媒体人周刊 #
