Would a wage/price spiral cause inflation to run out of control?

Treasury officials' fear that rising pay in pursuit of rising prices will create a vicious circle may be unjustified

Union leaders have derided calls by government ministers for wage restraint, believing their members must close the gap with rising inflation or risk a severe cut in living standards.

One of the main reasons cited by officials in the Bank of England and the Treasury for wage restraint is the threat of a wage/price spiral and the fear that this ratcheting effect will make double-digit inflation a longstanding feature of life in the UK.