New Inflation Rates - May 17, 2016

Head Office Circular No. NP/142/16

To the Secretary, all Branches and Regional Councils
Tuesday 17 May 2016

Dear Colleagues

INFLATION RATE: RPI YES - CPI AND CPIH NO

The Retail Prices Index (RPI) was 1.3% for the year to April 2016, down/up/unchanged from 1.6% for the year to March 2016.

Some employers/ government agencies are attempting to sideline RPI and are instead pushing other measures of inflation – such as CPI (0.3% for the year to April 2016) or CPIH (0.6% for the year to April 2016). Both CPI and CPIH are inappropriate for use in settling pay claims. This is because they are designed for comparing different countries’ economic performances, rather than average workers’ costs. Furthermore, CPI and CPIH tend to understate changes in the cost of living:

 

Attempts by an employer to link pay awards to CPI must be resisted and logged with the Policy Department.

Further information will follow in the Pay Bulletin presently.

Yours sincerely,

 

Mick Cash
General Secretary