FRAN HEATHCOTE believes that while the the Chancellor outlined some positive steps, the government does not appreciate the scale of the cost-of-living crisis affecting working-class people, whose lives are blighted by endemic low pay
THIS week PCS members at the Driving Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea took strike action for four days in response to management’s refusal to take their health and safety concerns seriously.
During the first Covid-19 lockdown, management adopted a cautious approach, ensuring attendance at the huge site that employs thousands of workers was kept to a minimum.
But by mid-2020, management — no doubt under departmental pressure from Transport Minister Grant Shapps — had bought into the Tory government’s mantra that everything would soon be back to normal and a rapid escalation of returning staff to the workplace began.
In the current climate, it is vital to bust the myths and put forward the case for a humane and decent social security system that supports people, argues FRAN HEATHCOTE



