CBI head calls for wages rises

There has been a call for wage increases from an unexpected source.

In a discussion on the post-election labour market, John Cridland, director-general of the CBI employers’ body, suggested that. while the economic recovery has been rich in jobs. a rise in wages has been delayed.

“The economic recovery has been felt in Dorking, but not in Doncaster nor Dundee,” he said. “Now it’s the job of employers to give their workers a pay rise. We need a living standards recovery.”

He added that the UK has had a “jobs rich” recovery, but that this had held back productivity.

“I’m not surprised productivity has been sluggish,” he said. “Now we need to tackle it going forward. We need to move from a jobs-rich recovery to a wages-rich recovery.”

Cridland added that the CBI expects the UK to be the fastest growing major economy this year, and described it as “flying”. He attributed this largely to the flexibility of the labour market.

www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/news/1152193/cbis-cridland-employers-need-to-raise-wages