Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of London to call on the government to address the rising cost of living.
Workers marched to Parliament as part of an event organised by the Trade Union Congress to demand better pay and working conditions (TUC).
The union has called for a “reasonable pay increase for public sector workers” as well as a £15 minimum wage.
According to a Treasury spokesman, the government has “stepped in to ease the burden.”
He went on to say that the government was “helping eight million of the most vulnerable British families this year – and giving every household £400 to help pay their energy bills.”
According to the TUC, workers have lost nearly £20,000 since 2008 because pay has not kept up with inflation.
Ben Robinson, 25, was at the protest because he works for a housing charity in Brixton, south London.
“We have residents coming into our offices who are choosing between feeding their own kids, not themselves, their own kids, and paying rent and heating, and that is just not a choice that anyone should have to face, you know, in the world’s fourth largest economy.”
“I don’t think the government recognises how bad things are going to be and really are for people, real people who don’t have enough money.”
“And the growing disparity between the very richest in society and the other 99% of people who just don’t have enough to get by, so hopefully this outlines that, but who knows?”