Change in the Retail Price Index (RPI) to Consumer Price In

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Letter to Branches




No. 876/11

Ref GS : 13.0
Date: 19 Oct 2011

  
 
(TO ALL BRANCHES)



TO: The Branch Secretary



Dear Colleague

Change in the Retail Price Index (RPI)
to Consumer Price Index (CPI)

Branches will be aware that there are a number of unions who will be balloting their members for strike action to take place on November 30th 2011. Some unions have live ballots and will be notifying their employers of their action, e.g. PCS. Other unions, such as Unison, are currently in the process of balloting their members.

The CWU is in close contact with the TUC nationally and exact details of activities will be sent out to Branches in the near future, together with any available publicity material. As part of our ongoing support for public sector unions in dispute, we have already sent letters of support, and we shall do this also to those other unions joining the strike action.

For information the latest inflation figures for the month of September 2011 are follows:

The annual RPI stands at 5.6% in September 2011 up from 5.2% in August
The annual RPIX (excluding mortgage interest payments)  stands at 5.7% in September 2011 up from 5.3% in August
The annual CPI stands at 5.2% in September 2011 up from 4.5% in August

As part of our ongoing work in the “All Together Campaign” http://www.tuc.org.uk/theme/index.cfm?theme=alltogether" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, addressed the CWU National Executive Council on Tuesday October 11th. Brendan updated the NEC

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on the current situation, and his address was well received by the Executive.

Branches will also wish to know that a legal challenge against the Government’s unilateral decision to change the measure of pension indexation from the Retail Price Index (RPI) to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is taking place in the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand on Tuesday 25th October.

PCS members, other trades unionists and pensioners' groups will be protesting outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday 25th October http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_event ... E9F5828371" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CPI does not include housing costs and is usually lower. PCS is one of six unions going to court to challenge the change and the way it was implemented.

The demonstration is from 8.30am to 10am on Tuesday 25 October – the day the hearing starts – outside the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London, WC2A 2LL.

The other unions supporting the court case are the Fire Brigades’ Union, the Prison Officers’ Association, the NASUWT teaching union, the general union Unite, and the health and local government union Unison. The National Pensioners’ Convention and the Civil Service Pensioners Alliance are supporting the protest.

Branches who are able, may wish to attend this demonstration. The London Region have been asked to co-ordinate activity, as appropriate, at this event on behalf of the CWU.

Any enquiries on this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Department quoting the reference GS 13.0.

Yours sincerely


W HAYES
General Secretary