South African workers will be even more determined to fight for a living wage after reading of the latest evidence of the obscene levels of wealth and earnings of the bosses whose profits they make through their sweat and toil.
The Sunday Times Rich List - of wealth ownership and earnings - confirms that the world's most unequal society is growing more unequal by the day (see report).
Top earner in 2010 was Shoprite CEO Whitey Basson, who took home the highest-ever monthly earnings ever recorded in a single year - an unbelievable R627.53 million in salary, perks and share options. This easily surpasses the income of the 2009 top earner Pine Pienaar, who made a mere R63 million.
In 2008 Basson's total remuneration was R16.64 million and R24.13 million in 2009, so his 2010 income represented an increase of 2501% over two years. Workers at Shoprite and Checkers should take note of that figure when they submit their next wage claim.
Steven Joffe of Gold Reef Resorts had a 358% increase, to R26.51 million, boosted by a R19.5 million ‘termination bonus' after opting to leave the casino group following its merger with Tsogo Sun.
2010's second-highest-paid executive - BHP Billiton CEO Marius Kloppers - received a total of R77.53-million, a 43% rise on his earnings from 2009. Third-placed Bernard Kantor, Investec's MD, made R56.69-million in 2010.