A-Infos (en) Britain, Anarchist journal Class Warr #95 - Page 3 - Taking the piss

It's no news that the price of food has shot up over the past year. The prices 
of staples like rice and pasta have rocketed, up by 111% and 75% respectively. 
And this is going on in the context of an effective doubling of income tax for 
many working class families, with the end of the 10% tax rate. As if this wasn't 
enough, the current economic uncertainty is affecting people across the country, 
as the government insists on wage restraint and the prospect of mass 
redundancies looms. The attitude of supermarkets like Tesco in this context is 
appalling. In the middle of September, Tesco announced they'd worked out that 
we're more concerned about food prices now than any time since 1988! Hardly 
surprising when the average family's paying out more than £1,000 extra shopping 
this year compared to last. Tesco followed up their research by reporting 
profits of £1.43 billion for the first SIX months of this year. That's £90.70 
per SECOND.

Its profits were up 11.3% over the same
period last year ­ although they claim
to have protected shoppers by not
passing on the full impact of price rises.
It is many years since there were food
riots in the UK. But if prices continue to
rise while working class families suffer
the same, or increasing, money wor-
ries they may make a return. And food
prices look set to soar, especially in
areas where one supermarket chain
has a monopoly. When Tesco cut pric-
es it's not to be good to the consumer,
but to attract people away from their
competitors: Richard Brasher, Tesco's
commercial director, made this clear
recently when he said `We will make
sure that if there is a price war we will
win it'. Not a sausage there about the
good of competition for the consumer
or how Tesco looks after its loyal cus-
tomers! Customers come a distant sec
ond to turnover and profits at Tesco.

You don't need us to tell you super-
markets like Tesco are coining it in at
the expense of the working class. The
question is, do we keep taking it or
do we do something about it? It's not
like food's a luxury we can do without!

We at Class War believe it's time
to show working class people are
no longer prepared to be shat on
and charged extortionate prices
for food like rice and pasta. People
abroad have shown a way forwards:
In September Greek anarchists
stormed a supermarket and handed
out food for free in the latest of a wave
of raids provoked by soaring consum-
er prices.
About 20 unarmed people, most-
ly wearing black hoods, carried out
the midday robbery in the north-
ern city of Thesaaloniki, police said.
Local media have labelled the raiders
"Robin Hoods" following previous raids.
They take only packets of pasta, rice
and catons of milk which they drop
in the middle of the street for peo-
ple to collect, a police official said.
"They have never stolen money or
hurt anyone. They ask people to re-
main calm but use ambush tactics,
jumping over cash desks," he said.
"When they attack without hoods,
people are surprised to see
that they are mostly women."
SURELY A TACTIC WORTH TRYING
HERE INTHE COMING RECESSION...
When, on Mayday 2005, British anar-
chists tried to do something similar in
Hackney, it was not attended by the
same success. However, that was
then and there's a very different cli-
mate now. We at Class War appreci-
ate that the demand for fair food prices
needs support for success, and we be-
lieve that the changed situation bodes
well for a popular campaign. Taking on
Tesco is not something we propose
lightly. But if something isn't done,
Tesco and their ilk will continue to
profiteer from the situation,refusing
to recognise any responsibility for
their actions. Many people are al-
ready finding it difficult to juggle their
finances, and it would be beyond
sickening to see the price of food, al-
ready becoming extortionate, move
beyond people's means to pay.
_________________________________________
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