The statement reads:
At the beginning of the year, there was a sharp increase in the cost of living, which reached about 7%. In this situation, the 2022 wage increase did not have a significant effect, and there are still workers who have not yet received the wage change. This implied a higher cost for the workers, who were also affected by the loss of benefits and working conditions during the pandemic.
This has forced workers to cut back on consumption of some goods and services, or to work even longer hours to maintain their real incomes. Halfway through the year, inflation is considered by specialists to be uncontrollable, as it is currently around 7.5 per cent, but is expected to reach 10 per cent by the end of the year. In concrete terms, the basic food basket has shot up to 27% and this is taking its toll on the pockets of working families.