I think no one would disagree that we have all had a tough few years. What the people of Dagenham and Rainham have gone through during the pandemic has taken its toll. Having spoken to our community door to door, I feel a real thirst for political change, and I feel this can only be driven by the Trade Union movement and the Labour Party.
During Covid, I was the cabinet member for Community Safety and Enforcement at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Much of my work during that time involved working with the police to protect safe spaces and enforce the government guidelines that would best allow us to fight Covid. During this time, I was often present at the busy hubs of our rail stations; I can tell you there were no quiet stations in Dagenham and Rainham. Many reading this will know the reason why - our people are the front-line workers, travelling into London, keeping our trains, buses, hospitals, GP surgeries, shops, deliveries and construction up and running.
We all clapped for the NHS staff and rightly so. However, post Covid, the cost of living is skyrocketing, people are having to choose to eat or heat, and food bank referrals are at record highs. It is morally wrong that our workers are being denied a decent wage.
I strongly believe that the Trade Unions’ call for a fair deal for workers is the only way our workers will receive an acceptable wage. The British public are fair-minded, and I strongly believe that if a person undertakes work, then they should be fairly compensated to allow a reasonable standard of living and time spent with their family. There have always been poor employers and the Trade Union movement is the only reason they can be called into account. Trade unions are responsible for securing workers the 40-hour work week, forcing employers to honour contracts, helping to introduce the minimum wage and giving us the 2-day weekend. Those fighting to disempower unions seem intent on dragging us back to the working practices of the Victorian times.
Part of the commentary that needs to be addressed is the poor representation of working-class people in the media. There is a prevalent lack of understanding about the modern workplace, working conditions and how the low wage culture affects communities.
It is rare that you will come across a working-class presenter in the mainstream media. Whenever a major trade union conflict or public sector strike occurs, you will see someone such as Andrew Neil or Piers Morgan querying the salary of a working-class person. These individuals have no idea of the difficulties working-class people encounter, leading a very privileged life themselves. Key public figures and politicians are never held under the same level of scrutiny about their wages. The RMT leadership are questioned on their lifestyles, such as do they live in a council property, but is Fiona Bruce asked about her £405,000 salary and where she lives? No. Andrew Neil’s company, Glenburn Enterprises, is currently worth over £10 million. Mick Lynch and Eddie Dempsey are more than capable of dealing with these personal attacks, but when all tabloids and online media disparage the unions, there isn’t the space in the mainstream media to have a real conversation.
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