In the book, which an extract is given here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/04/workandcareers.executivesalaries

Polly questioned whether the bankers work 10 times as hard as a shop worker to deserve a 10 times salary.

But well… a we can see here

http://www.gmgplc.co.uk/Portals/7/GMGAR07.pdf

Guardian directors isn’t exactly being paid £30k per year for their service either.  A Labour prime minister of the UK commands a Salary of s £127,334 in addition to their salary of £60,277, plus lots of fringe benefits. He isn’t exactly working 10 times as hard as a shop worker, does he ?

Polly wants to sell her book for £12.99 each. That is porbably 1 month salary for an African who live on less than $1 a day. How can she and the publisher be rewarded many months salary of an African for just writing a book ? But then here you go.

In this globalised world, that is just how it is as the free market forces determined the correct level of reward - over the long run.  In the medium term, there will be people who are unjustly rewarded (Labout government who destroyed UK economy were no doubt richly rewarded with their salaries and pensions despite doing a crappy job), and those who are underewarded.  The complexities of these relationship is far too complex for a bureaucracy staffed by mere mortals to fully comprehend and direct. Therefore, it is best that these bureaucrats stay away from interferring, but rather to concentrate their effocts on law, order, education and creation of opportunities.

In the globalised world, a small advantage can translate into huge gains. In a university, a man who gets 1 mark short to obtain an honour degree do not just see 1% less opportinties opened to him, but a hell lot less.

Please concentrate your effort to help to bring everyone up (perhaps Guardian can create some cleaning job paying £100k pa ?) - i.e. teach, help them to do / earn more, rather than trying to get the banker to earn less !   Ultimately, we have to accept inequality and diversity - some people are just born better in some areas that happened to be in huge demand.  Some other specialise in areas that are hugely rewarding and make themself very happy, but less financially profitabable.

That is just how it is

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/07/01/ybsnaps101.xml

Dream may turn into a nightmare

By Richard Tyler Enterprise Editor

Where do you turn when your business gets into financial difficulty? That is the question posed to Your Business by restaurant owner Rochelle Gee, whose business has been knocked sideways by rising prices and the economic slowdown.

And the beureaucrats at Wesminster thinks it is easy to run one (and busy dreaming up new regulation such as incoming shifting anti avoidance rules, anti discrimination rules which go too far etc).