Yesterday, hundreds of ACORN members across England and Wales took the fight to the companies profiting from the cost of living crisis.
With protests, picket lines and occupations at 9 HQs of water and energy giants, bailiff companies and corporate landlords we sent a clear message: We won’t stand for it any more.
In Yorkshire, dozens of ACORN members blocked the entrance to Yorkshire Water, with executives agreeing to meet after hearing stories from customers who have suffered due to their policies, while in the North West it was the turn of United Utilities.
We took a kayak to Severn Trent Water’s HQ in the Midlands, with an agreement secured to no price surges, to meet with ACORN within two weeks, and to give the union input into its cost of living policies.
In Wales, the offices of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water were occupied which also led to an agreement to further negotiations.
In Bristol, members held a noisy occupation of the lobby at the offices of OVO Energy, refusing to leave until heads had agreed to meet, while Brighton members went to Octopus Energy.
In the North East ACORN members turned the tables on bailiffs by placing a wheel clamp on a CDER Group van, while in Norfolk a meeting was secured to discuss the council’s use of bailiffs after a council-run bailiff firm, ARP, were the subject of a noisy protest.
Usman Akhtar national spokesperson for ACORN, said:
“Working class people across the UK are being battered by the cost of living crisis, working to exhaustion and waking up dreading the landlord raising the rent again, their energy bill rising, water bills spiralling and bailiffs leeching off whatever joy is left.”
“All while fat cat CEOs gorge themselves on massive bonuses at our expense, we’ve had members being chased for bills that aren’t theirs, members left with £300 water bills for one single month and others left with no running water at all. We’re battered and bruised but not beaten.”
“Our day of action is about rising up and fighting the cost of living crisis at the front doors of the those causing it and taking back what’s ours. We’re demanding rent caps, an end to the use of bailiffs for debt collection, no executive bonuses, no price rises above inflation for 5 years, a write-off of household utility debts built up during the cost of living crisis.”
“Bills are rising but so are we!”