Inflation figures out today showed the CPI rate still at 2.8% and RPI rising to 3.3%.
Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary, commented: “Strong inflation, which is expected to rise again this year, means misery for family budgets. It is being driven by rising prices for basics such as food and fuel, the very things the low paid spend a large proportion of their money on.
“Pay freezes and squeezes mean that wages are not keeping pace – no wonder many families face the ‘heat or eat’ dilemma.
“Local government workers – who have faced three years of frozen pay – need a decent, no strings offer from their employers. Since the coalition came to power, inflation, coupled with a prolonged pay freeze for even the lowest paid, has stripped the value of their wages down by 13%. Giving these workers a decent rise would have a knock on effect of boosting our beleaguered economy.”