Dave Prentis to speak at Poverty Conference in Middlesbrough
Friday 9th November, 12.30pm
St Mary's Centre, Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2RW
The facts:
The majority of children in poverty are in households where people work
£6bn each year is spent in benefits and tax credits to top up the wages of low paying employers
Over 90 per cent of new housing benefit claims are made by people in work
If the national minimum wage had increased in line with top earners, it would be worth over £19 per hour today.
Pay freezes in the public and private sector are destroying the quality of life of working people, while the top earners pull further away and companies take an ever bigger share in profits.
As part of 'Living Wage Week' the Northern TUC is holding a conference to highlight and understand the scale of in-work poverty in the North East. It will show how austerity measures have depressed wages and increased the squeeze on living standards and increased hardship of people in low wage work. The event will explore the range of social and economic problems created by declining wages as well as identify some of the practical and political solutions we require.
There will be a keynote speech from Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison, followed by three sessions focusing on:
Poverty Pay and a Living Wage
Pay day loans and financial inclusion
Tackling poverty at home and abroad
Our speakers are experts in their field and bring experience of key findings and developments that will be of use to trade unionists and campaigners. The event will culminate with the Kenny Bell Memorial Lecture to be given by John Hilary, Executive Director of War on Want.
Speakers include: Iain Wright MP for Hartlepool; Barry Coppinger, PCC Labour Candidate for Cleveland; Julie Young, PCS; Vic Mackay, Chair of Financial Inclusion and Capability North East; Judith Kirton-Darling, Confederal Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC); Professor Rob MacDonald, Deputy Director, Social Futures Institute, Teesside University and Elaine Gilmour, Pioneer Credit Union, Middlesbrough CVL Development Officer.
Please register by Friday 2nd November - mlowden@tuc.org.uk, 0191 232 3175. The event is free to attend. Lunch and refreshments prior to the Lecture will be provided.
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