Enough is Enough rally held in Glasgow

The protest was held on Saturday 1 October alongside multiple trade and railway unions as part of a national day of action.

Glasgow based trade unions, various left-wing groups, and individual protesters came together on Saturday, 1 October to hold an ‘Enough is Enough’ rally in response to the current cost of living crisis. 

The Glasgow rally was one of many national protests of the same name held that day. Enough is Enough, a national grassroots campaign, are planning further events and demonstrations throughout the year. 

The day of action began with support for striking rail workers at Central Station and Royal Mail staff striking on Baird Street, before moving onto the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall at midday. Trade unions including the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) were joined by various left-wing groups including Just Stop Oil, Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Workers Party. Thousands of individual protestors also came along in support. 

Over the next hour, several speakers made remarks to the crowd. Andy Harris of Food Bank Scotland spoke passionately in favour of union organisation, stating: “[We must] look after our community, our class…the political elite want us to fail.”

Gordon Martin, representing the RMT,  added similar sentiments: “This is about dignity in the workplace – a class war has been declared by this Tory government…the shareholders will pay for this crisis, not us.” 

The organisation spelled out a clear set of objectives for their strike action from advocating for a real living wage and a slashing of energy bills in the face of a difficult winter, to a marked increase in taxation on the wealthiest earners and crackdown on tax evasion. Several speakers also threw their support behind the recently published ‘People’s Recovery Plan’ which was drawn up by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and urged the Scottish government to embrace its proposed set of policies in the next national budget. 

Speaking to how students specifically can contribute, James Granleesey of the Socialist Workers Party said, “Even the universities are complicit”, in reference to the ongoing  accommodation crisis hitting the student population. “They should support the picket lines, [we need] solidarity from students who are facing the same cost of living crisis.” 

The marches came in the context of the recent so-called ‘mini-budget’ released by Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, real-term pay cuts to the public sector, the rising cost of energy and soaring inflation.