What was the percentage increase in dividend for the year in question? No employee's pay should increase by more than that. There was an article in The Times today which said it would serve shareholders right if Sorrell quit. It didn't even bother to tell readers what the rewards to shareholders had been. Surely that is just as relevant a comparison as the increase in pay to the lowest paid staff. After all, the shareholders are supposed to own the company and they carry all the risk but, unlike taxpayers or ordinary staff, they rarely get a mention when overpayment of executives is being discussed. I don't fall for the blackmail. Where are all these hard done by execs. going to go and won't they go when it suits them anyway (e.g. Bart Becht) and will the companies have any difficulty finding successors? I doubt it. Unless shareholders are also incentivised, there is just as big a chance of them voting with their feet and the sooner companies wake up to this the better.
