LONDON, June 21 Reuters Annual pay rises agreed at British workplaces steadied last month at a historically high rate but fell further behind soaring inflation, according to another survey on Tuesday that suggested fears of a wageprice spiral may be overdone.

XpertHR, a pay and personnel data publisher, said employer pay deals for the three months to May stood at a median 4, unchanged from the previous month.

While jointly the highest reading since 1992, it was a long way behind consumer price inflation of 9 in April.

XpertHR39;s report followed a Bank of England business survey that showed employers surveyed in May were not planning a further acceleration in pay rates.

Despite pay awards reaching record levels not seen for 30 years, any marginal increases we are seeing are outstripped by the sheer pace of inflation, said Sheila Attwood, pay and benefits editor at XpertHR.

More than 50,000 British rail workers are due to launch their biggest strike in 30 years on Tuesday in protest at pay freezes and job cuts, in what unions bill as the start of a possible summer of discontent with teachers, medics and even barristers moving towards industrial action.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken of the need for a highwage economy but earlier this month warned that the risk of a damaging wageprice spiral where wages chase rising prices in a selfreinforcing cycle needed to be averted.

A letter on Friday sent to Johnson by 67 economists said there was no wageprice…