A new survey has found that some eye-poppingly huge pay gaps exist between the average UK worker and the top executives at a number of the country's biggest companies.
Research shows that bosses of the UK's top 350 FTSE companies are being paid, on average, at least 53 times more a year than their mid-level colleagues
What's more, some UK bosses are earning as much as 100 times more than their average employee, reports The Manc.
Image: Mutual Interest Media
A poll for the High Pay Centre shared exclusively with The Guardian found that huge salary gaps have become commonplace in large UK businesses and that the majority of Brits did not approve.
It comes as many up and down the country are facing the choice between heating and eating, as energy bills skyrocket and the value of UK pension and out-of-work benefits see the biggest fall in 50 years.
According to the new survey, 63% of workers believe that CEOs shouldn't be earning more than 10 times that of their staff, and only 3% of people deem it acceptable for them to be paid over 50 times the company's average wage.
In reality, research published by the same think tank in 2020 shows many top-level bosses are already being paid 50 times more - with some earning as much as 100 times their company's median salary.
On average, these bosses are paid at least 53 times more.
Research also found that on average an FTSE 100 chief executive makes more money in four days than an average UK worker will over the course of a year.
Many respondents felt that policy measures aimed at distributing wealth more evenly could help to raise living standards for people across the UK.
Luke Hildyard, the director of the High Pay Centre, told The Guardian that the research revealed: “the extent to which the lives of those at the top and those of everybody else have become so far removed from each other”.
He added: “That’s probably not a healthy development.
“Britain’s biggest employers dedicate a significant amount of their budget to the pay of a small number of top earners.
"Redirecting some of this money to low- and middle-income workers would be a good way to raise living standards and address the cost of living crisis but it will require policymakers and business leaders to be a bit more open-minded about whether those at the top really need to be paid so much.”
Frances O’Grady, the general secretary of the TUC, added: “The whole workforce deserves to share in the success of a firm, not just those in the boardroom. But over the years executive pay has raced ahead of other workers – and now it’s at stratospheric levels.
“It’s time to set a maximum ratio between the top earner in each firm and other workers. There should be workers on remuneration committees, to ground decisions in the interests of the whole workforce.
"And incentive schemes should be open to all workers on the same terms, instead of just giving big bonuses to executives.”
Feature image -Wikimedia Commons
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Leeds pizza shop hailed ‘exceptional’ and ‘best in the UK’ by major reviewer
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month
Clementine Hall
A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.
Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.
His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.
Image: Supplied
Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.
Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.
Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...
And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Image: Supplied
The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.
You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.
Georgina Pellant -
4th May 2022 
