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Cardiff Gas Price - Fuel Poverty Protest

The South Wales Chartists | 12.09.2008 11:21 | Workers' Movements

Assemble 2 pm, Saturday 27th September,
British Gas Offices, Churchill Way (off Queen Street)
Cardiff

Worried about how you will afford your gas bill in the coming winter?
Then join the protest:

PROTEST AGAINST BRITISH GAS!
PROTEST AGAINST FUEL POVERTY!
PROTEST AGAINST INCREASED GAS & ELECTRICITY BILLS!

Assemble 2 pm, Saturday 27th September,
British Gas Offices, Churchill Way (off Queen Street)

Bring drums, placards, banners etc.
Please forward this email to as many people as possible - as soon as possible!

Protest to demand -

* AN EMERGENCY WINDFALL TAX on profits of gas companies to fund measures to alieviate the burden working people & fund environmental measures such as house insulation to lower household fuel bills

* GREATER REGULATION OF CORPORATE POWER - government enforced price-capping

* RE-NATIONALISATION OF THE GAS & ELECTRICITY companies and run them to meet the needs of the many instead of the profits of the few!

British Gas raised prices last year to obsenely boost profits by 500% - Now bills have gone up again, and thousands of households have been plunged into financial hardship because of the greed of the few. And every other gas company is now raising prices.

Gas prices are a *key social justice issue* - 1 in 4 people are now in fuel poverty (spending more than 10% of income on fuel), and more pensioners die in Britain in winter - the 5th richest world economy - than in Siberia due to not being able to adequately heat their homes.

Politicians pretend to be powerless before the privatised utilities, but there are many things they could do. Instead, Brown once again cut corporation tax in another tax break for the rich.

This protest is initiated by Cardiff supporters of the People Before Profit Charter but anybody is welcome to support. Already we have had support from left wing councillors, socialists, trade unionists, environmentalists, church poverty groups, social justice campaigners & concerned citizens. A full list of sponsors of the protest will be publicised shortly.

The People Before Profit Charter has been launched to put forward demands that would stop ordinary people sinking deeper into poverty. As well as the demands to tax corporate profits, the charter calls for an end to Brown’s 2 percent pay limit on public sector workers, the abolition of tax on fuel and energy for old people and the poor, and the restoration of the link between state pensions and average earnings.

Current signatories include (all in personal cacpicity) - George Monbiot, John Pilger, Tony Benn, John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Alice Mahon ex-MP, Cerith Griffiths Chair of Fire Brigades Union South Wales, Marianne Owens, ViceChair PCS Wales, Chris Daw, Unison Wales Youth Forum Chair, Ted Knight, former leader of Lambeth Council & many others.

If you wish to support the protest or more information about the charter, email  cardiffchartists@live.co.uk

The South Wales Chartists
- e-mail: cardiffchartists@live.co.uk