Category Archives: inflation

. Did you hear Alistair Darling on the Andrew Marr show this morning calling for those in the private sector to exercise pay restraint in these tricky economic climes? Naturally the public sector may also consider taking a somewhat more restrained approach. Big deal. Why did Marr not ask Darling why his predecessor as Chancellor kept ramming through inflation-busting wage increases for teachersndoctorsnnures and other courtier groups? Why did Marr not even express mild surprise that the public sector now enjoys an average hourly wage 20% higher than that in the private sector? Since those of us in the wealth creating private sector are already being hammered by taxation to fund the gilt-edged pension schemes of many in the public sector, could Marr have not enquired as to whether it is t time that the State sector took a cut in wages? And what business is it of Government to tell private enterprise how it should reward its employees? Marr could have done much better with Darling but the tone was deferential.