LONDON, June 13 Reuters British employers agreed pay increases averaging 5.6 in the three months to April, reflecting high consumer price inflation and a hefty rise in the minimum wage, putting further pressure on the Bank of England to keep raising interest rates.

Incomes Data Research IDR said the median pay settlement awarded by major British employers had increased to 5.6 in the three months to April, the highest in records dating back to 2005 and up from 5.0 in the three months to the end of March.

Median pay awards for privatesector workers increased to 5.8 in the same period, while publicsector pay awards averaged 5.0.

Zoe Woolacott, a senior researcher at IDR, said Britain39;s labour market remained tight, despite consumer price inflation easing to 8.7 in April.

The IDR39;s measure of median pay rises for both the private and public sector had been steadily increasing from an already aboveaverage 4.0 in April last year due to the surge in the cost of living and inflation, Woolacott said.

April is a key month for pay deals between employers and workers, and comes at a time when many publicsector employees are taking industrial action.

The National Living Wage a minimum wage rate which does not apply to apprentices or staff aged under 23 rose by 9.7 at the start of April to 10.42 pounds 13.10 an hour.

Pay rises in excess of 6 are common across the private sector as inflation remains elevated…. The recent uplift in the National Living Wage has also…