Wages have not risen much in real terms over the last decade. Some think they never will (because of robots, technology, the lack of union power, etc).
We aren't so sure, particularly given the news out last week from the ONS suggesting that the wages of those who have remained in continuous employment are actually up over 4% on the year.
A selection of stories on the matter from this weekend are below. They don't tell us much yet. But perhaps the tide is beginning to turn.
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1) Hundreds of health workers from 11 different unions strike today for four hours in protest at Jeremy Hunt's "Berlin Wall of intransigence" on pay.
2) "Ski holidays on slippery slope as chalet girls are promised pay rise", says the Times, as Austria rules that British holiday staff in Austria must be paid the local minimum wage of €1,000 a month.
3) "The movement in Europe is younger but it is energetic", says the Guardian of the campaign by fast food workers on both sides of the Atlantic to get fair pay. There have been strikes and protests 150 cities so far with some success in the likes of New York where the minimum hourly wage is to rise to $9 over the next two years. The key to success, say the campaign's drivers, is unity. "They have the best lawyers, but there are only a few of them and many of us. The only way we can win is by uniting. We have to stick together."
4) And finally, one from closer to home. The man who just delivered a boring looking parcel to me told me that until last year they all got a Christmas hamper as a bonus. Last year they got nothing. This year, they have been told they are getting cash. Progress...
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Christmas at Chatsworth: review of The Cavendish Hotel at BaslowMoneyWeek Travel Matthew Partridge gets into the festive spirit at The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow and the Christmas market at Chatsworth
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Tycoon Truong My Lan on death row over world’s biggest bank fraudProperty tycoon Truong My Lan has been found guilty of a corruption scandal that dwarfs Malaysia’s 1MDB fraud and Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto scam
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Beating inflation takes more luck than skill – but are we about to get lucky?Opinion The US Federal Reserve managed to beat inflation in the 1980s. But much of that was down to pure luck. Thankfully, says Merryn Somerset Webb, the Bank of England may be about to get lucky.
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Rishi Sunak can’t fix all our problems – so why try?Opinion Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement is an attempt to plaster over problems the chancellor can’t fix. So should he even bother trying, asks Merryn Somerset Webb?
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Young people are becoming a scarce resource – we should value them more highlyOpinion In the last two years adults have been bizarrely unkind to children and young people. That doesn’t bode well for the future, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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Ask for a pay rise – everyone else isOpinion As inflation bites and the labour market remains tight, many of the nation's employees are asking for a pay rise. Merryn Somerset Webb explains why you should do that too.
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Why central banks should stick to controlling inflationOpinion The world’s central bankers are stepping out of their traditional roles and becoming much more political. That’s a mistake, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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How St Ives became St Tropez as the recovery drives prices sky highOpinion Merryn Somerset Webb finds herself at the epicentre of Britain’s V-shaped recovery as pent-up demand flows straight into Cornwall’s restaurants and beaches.
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The real problem of Universal Basic Income (UBI)Merryn's Blog April employment numbers showed 75 per cent fewer people in the US returned to employment compared to expectations. Merryn Somerset-Webb explains how excessive government support is causing a shortage of labour.
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Why an ageing population is not necessarily the disaster many people think it isOpinion We’ve got used to the idea that an ageing population is a bad thing. But that’s not necessarily true, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
