Amid apparent rising pay, economists are concerned about the consequences of a possible shift in the balance of power
When Eastbourne’s refuse collectors secured a huge 11% pay rise, increasing to 19% for the lowest paid, it seemed like worker power was back.
It was early 2022 and inflation was rocketing on its way to a peak of 11%. In a desperate scramble to keep pace with rising prices to protect their incomes, workers across the UK’s public and private sectors took widescale industrial action in a way that brought back memories of the 1970s. What followed was a series of pay deals thrashed out between bosses and employees, with unions often arguing they had been due pay increases for years.