Inflation rises to 3% in August in the Region of Murcia

The Region of Murcia is once again above the national average (2.6%) and is positioned as the fourth community with the highest inflation, only behind the Canary Islands (3.5%), Cantabria (3.2%) and Balearic Islands (3.1%).

During the month of August, Murcians noticed the impact on their pockets, especially when buying food. The price of these rose to 9.8%, as did alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Oil and sugar are the products that experience the greatest increase, of 30.9% and 42.5%.

The CPI increased 0.6% in the Region of Murcia in August compared to the previous month, and so far this year it has grown 3%. By groups, the most inflationary in monthly terms in the Region were Transportation (3%); Leisure and Culture (1%); Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (0.6%); Hotels, cafes and restaurants (0.5%); Medicine and Others (0.3% each). On the other hand, the freezing of prices in Education and Communications and the decrease in Food and non-alcoholic beverages and Household goods (-0.2%); Clothing and footwear (-0.5%) and Housing (-0.1%) prevented a greater increase in the shopping basket in the Region of Murcia in August.

The rise in inflation was also reflected in the prices of hotels and restaurants, which increased by 6.2%, and in leisure and culture, which increased by 7.1%. This increase in restaurants and leisure during the month of August coincides with one of the summer months with the greatest tourist activity.

The greatest decrease in prices has taken place in housing, which fell by 18.2%. Also in clothing and footwear (-1.4%), coinciding with the summer sales.

UGT Region of Murcia has expressed this Tuesday its “concern” about the structural aspect that the “exorbitant” profit margins of some sectors give to the “problem” of inflation, and has demanded “more and better control mechanisms”, according to what they have said. informed sources from the organization in a statement.

The union has considered that companies in the Region, like those in the rest of the country, “must put an end to a pricing policy that imposes wage moderation with one hand, while increasing profit margins with the other.”

In line, he has pointed out that in some sectors such as the food industry, and according to data provided by the Observatory of Business Margins, companies have obtained, in just one year, “exorbitant” profits that exceed by 50% the harvested before the pandemic.

“It is necessary to impose more and better control mechanisms and containment measures due to the impoverishment and damage they represent to the social interest,” he stated in this regard. Furthermore, they highlight their “firm intention to continue fighting to generalize these wage increases that are necessary to fairly redistribute the wealth generated and stop the impoverishment of the social majority.”

In a press release, Workers’ Commissions (CC OO) regretted that the Community is “once again” as “one of the most inflationary territories in the country, which has a negative impact on the purchasing power of the working class and Murcian families in general”. Furthermore, the organization considers that this “negatively affects our economy and job creation itself, and hinders our future.”

In its assessment of the monthly increase in the CPI, the union pointed out that “almost all the products that are part of the shopping basket rise as a result of the rise in business margins.” For this reason, the organization considers that the new regional Executive “must take note and activate measures that allow prices to drop.”

Furthermore, in his statement he asked “to unblock the negotiation of some collective agreements that have been paralyzed for a long time, as well as the review of those collective agreements that still do not reach the current SMI 2023.”