pay-rise gap grows between managers

by Christina Golding

Inflation-busting pay rises for top executives contrast sharply with below-inflation increases for lower-level managers, according to a new report.

Chief executives and managing directors in the hospitality industry are achieving average basic wage rises more than three times that of inflation but the report shows that catering managers are surviving on a miserly 1.3% rise.

Inflation in April was projected to be 4.4%, and 3.8% in July, but in 1997-98 chief executives received an average 15.1% pay increase compared with an average 4.9% rise for management.

General managers received above the average management increase with a 6.9% rise but development managers were at the bottom, with the catering managers, at 1.3%.

Taking bonuses and benefits into account, catering managers averaged a 4.1% rise.

Of all the positions, general managers received the biggest increase with bonuses, which pushed their total pay upby 14.8%.

The survey looked at data on more than 700 job holders in the leisure industry.

l The 1998 Annual Remuneration Survey of the Leisure Industry is produced by Janet Salmon and costs £215 for a full report or £110 for a summary. Tel: 0181-332 1594.