That’s hard to swallow! Cost of Christmas dinner has gone up THREE TIMES times quicker than pay, study suggests
- If pay had risen the same, the average worker would have an extra £76 a week
- Traditional items like turkey have risen by 18 per cent on average over past year
- Classic condiments like cranberry and bread sauce have risen by 33 per cent
The cost of putting Christmas dinner on the table has risen three times faster than the wages needed to pay for it, research suggests.
If pay had risen at the same rate, the average worker would have an extra £76 a week, according to the analysis by the Trades Union Congress.
Traditional items such as turkey, pigs in blankets, carrots and roast potatoes have risen by 18 per cent on average over the past year, the TUC said, while wages have risen by 5.7 per cent.
And cranberry sauce and bread sauce have risen by 33 per cent – a whopping six times faster than wages.
Actually cooking Christmas dinner will also be much more expensive than last year, with electricity and gas prices up by 66 per cent and 129 per cent, according to the latest inflation data.
Traditional items such as turkey, pigs in blankets, carrots and roast potatoes have risen by 18 per cent on average over the past year, the TUC said
Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, said: ‘Christmas should be a time for celebration. Everyone should be able to enjoy turkey and all the trimmings while they relax with their family.
‘But soaring food and energy prices mean many families will struggle to afford the festivities. And the fact is many workers are dreading the new year.
‘Ministers can no longer ignore the crisis facing working families. The government needs to shield families from the misery of the coming recession.
‘That means raising the minimum wage to £15 an hour as soon as possible.. It means a proper pay rise for our dedicated public sector workers. And it means getting wages rising across the economy for everyone.’