Wage Pressure Grows
It is steadily becoming dearer that a large number of trade unionists—possibly a majority—are determined to learn about the perils of inflation the hard way. One by one the unions decide to ignore the policy of wage restraint recommended by the Government and accepted by the Trades Union Congress. The engineers made up their minds long ago that they wanted an increase of 11 a week, and last Friday they decided to issue to all union members ballot papers which present strike action as one of the possible alternatives. At the Easter conferences many unions declared against wage restraint, and a number of others are clearly restive about it. Before many months have passed restiveness may have become per- fectly respectable, sinct the T.U.C. only promised to hold the line so long as the cost of living index remained below 118, and it is at present moving steadily up to that figure. What passes all belief is that the unions can fail to learn the simple lesson of these figures. If wages and prices are to begin a new race against each other, there can be no real winner—only losers. For the population at large there is nothing but uncertainty, misery and hardship in this disastrous course. And yet thermions seem determined to take it. Even if the Government decides to give way to this pressure, and thus to take one more step towards the abyss, it cannot satisfy the present wage demands. It cannot even postpone the day when the unions learn their bitter lesson.
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