Letter from Mark Langabeer, Hastings and Rye Labour Member
I turned on the TV this morning (22 August) and the news was dominated by the current strike movement for a cost of living pay increase. Adding fuel to the fire was a report of the pay of CEO’s at the largest hundred companies in the UK. It stated that their pay/income has increased by 39%. They argue that wage rises linked to inflation would result in further increases in prices. They claim it would result in an inflationary spiral. The hypocrisy is breath-taking. The average pay of the Bosses is 109 times above the average of their staff.
It’s not entirely clear if wage rises in line or above the rate of inflation will cause a spiral of increased prices. If you follow this logic, then workers should never receive wage rises in line or above inflation. What is more likely, is a cut in profits and reduced shareholder value. It”s the reason why employers attempt to resist these modest demands. The most recent attack on trade unions is the claim that ‘ Union Bosses’ are refusing to ballot members on improved offers. This is a claim by Grant Shapps, the Minister of Transport and echoed by Management in a number of the current disputes. In my experience, these so-called Union ‘Bosses‘ are representatives of workers who are often elected annually. They regularly report back to members on progress or otherwise on talks with Management. This line of attack won’t cut any ice with those involved in disputes. Its aim is to place the blame on unions, rather than greedy Bosses.
According to the news, Labour have had a bounce in the polls. Pollsters suggest that a proposal to freeze energy costs is the primary reason for this. In my view, if Labour put forward a proposal that pay should be linked with inflation for all workers, pensioners and those that depend on state support, they would see a surge of support.
