来源：《每日电讯报》
原文刊登日期：2022年6月23日
The latest inflation figures confirmed that prices are rising at their fastest rate in 40 years and will soon head into double figures. The Bank of England has predicted a peak of 11 per cent later this year but since it did not see the current acceleration coming this may turn out to be an under-estimate. The consequences in terms of labour relations are clear, with the rail strike partly motivated by a collapse in real wages.
最新的通货膨胀数据证实，物价正以40年来最快的速度上涨，并将很快达到两位数。英国央行曾预测，今年晚些时候将达到11%的峰值，但由于它没有预见到当前的加速，这可能被低估了。其对劳资关系的影响显而易见，铁路罢工的部分动机是实际工资大幅下降。
But one group loses out more than most and that is people on fixed incomes, notably pensioners. The so-called “triple lock” guarantees that the old age pension will rise by either 2.5 per cent, or the average annual wage rise or the consumer price index inflation rate, whichever is greatest. The earnings element was suspended this year after wages rose faster than expected during the pandemic. Now it is prices that provide the outlier, with Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, under pressure once again to limit the increase.
但有一个群体的损失比大多数人都大，那就是固定收入人群，尤其是领养老金的人。所谓的“三重锁”，保证养老金的增长以2.5%、年平均工资增长率、消费者价格指数增长率的最大值为准。由于疫情期间工资增长快于预期，今年暂停了工资增长因素。现在的价格指数是异常值，财政大臣里希·苏纳克再次面临限制养老金上涨的压力。
Mr Sunak indicated yesterday that he would revive the triple lock for next year which would mean a 10 per cent rise in the state pension based on September’s expected consumer price index figure. As he rightly observed, many in receipt of the state pension are the poorest and most vulnerable people in society. But with employees being limited to 2 or 3 per cent pay rises, this will be a hard political line to maintain.
苏纳克昨日表示，他将在明年重启“三锁”政策，即根据9月份消费者价格指数的预期数据，将国家养老金上调10%。正如他正确地指出的那样，许多领取国家养老金的人都是社会中最贫穷和最脆弱的人。但在就业员工加薪幅度被限制在2%或3%的情况下，这将是一条难以维持的政治路线。
Welfare benefits are also set to rise by 10 per cent but there are arguments for treating these differently from the state pension since recipients are in a better position to get jobs. It is astonishing that more than 5 million people are on out-of-work benefits when there are more vacancies than ever and a national shortage of workers in key sectors.
福利金也将提高10%，但有理由将其与国家养老金区别对待，因为领取福利金的人更容易找到工作。令人惊讶的是，当职位空缺比以往任何时候都多，全国关键部门工人短缺时，有500多万人在领取失业救济金。