RMT General Secretary Bob Crow has spoken about the latest rise in inflation and how this will affect pay claims for this year.

Crow said “Ahead of tomorrow’s Budget it is crystal clear that the Chancellor and the ConDem Government have a strategy of holding down pay increases while real living costs go through the roof – bullying working people into accepting savage cuts to their standards of living to pay for this banker crisis. RMT will not tolerate that kind of assault on our members.

“With the latest surge in RPI inflation to 5.5% announced today our negotiators will factor this in to our pay talks across the UK transport sector. We will not accept a situation where our member’s standards of living are eroded as a result of the mistakes and the reckless gambling of the politicians and the bankers.

“With the looming ConDem increase in National Insurance, and other escalations in living costs, there is no doubt that the bar has been raised in terms of this year’s pay round. We are also taking in to account the continuing bonus bonanza in the City and are sending out the clearest possible message that RMT members will not bend the knee and take the hit for a financial crisis that was not of their making.”