Letter: A formula for fair wages

A formula for fair wages

Sir: The political hot potato of limiting high-fliers' salary increases and the soon to be resurrected debate over guaranteed minimum salaries could easily be cooled by a statutory requirement that within any organisation the highest remuneration should not be higher than a prescribed multiple of the lowest salary.

This would give flexibility to an employer but would ensure that, regardless of the total amount available for salaries, the division of that amount would always be such as to reflect the contributions made by all employees. This principle could hold good for both commercial companies and government departments.

The only arguments would then be to determine the correct multiplier (20, 30, 50?) and for middle-earning employees to justify their division of the remainder.

A P DZIMITROWICZ

Croydon,

Surrey