The government has issued a warning that wage increases cannot keep pace with the rising cost of living.

It has been asserted that workers have lost about £20,000 since 2008 because their wages have not kept pace with inflation.

Simon Clarke, the chief secretary of the Treasury, has stated that indexing wages to inflation could lead to a further increase in retail prices.

His intervention comes as more than 40,000 employees prepare for a three-day strike that could cripple significant portions of the UK’s train network.

When inflation is at a 40-year high, the RMT union has stated that it is “unacceptable” for railway workers to lose their jobs or face another year of a salary freeze.

In addition, tens of thousands of people are scheduled to march on Saturday, demanding that the government do more to combat the rising cost of living.

The protest has been organised by the TUC union, which asserts that workers have lost about £20,000 since 2008 due to salary not keeping pace with inflation.

The Daily Telegraph cited Mr. Clarke as stating that Britons must have “unrealistic expectations regarding salary”; adding sharp wage increases will deepen the issue.

He told the newspaper, “We must be extremely cautious to prevent inflation from becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy at this time.”

According to reports, teachers want to march en masse to demand better compensation and working conditions.

According to the NASUWT, teachers are at the forefront of the cost-of-living problem, with fundamental living expenses rising faster than earnings and the value of their income plunging by 19 percent over the previous 12 years.

On July 14, eight million households will begin receiving cost-of-living payments. As part of a £21bn support package proposed by the government last month, low-income households receiving benefits would receive £326 next month to assist with mounting expenses.