Wednesday, December 23, 2009

All’s well at the Daily Wail

According to the Guardian (9 December) the editor of the Daily Mail, who is also editor-in-chief of Associated Newspapers, received a salary of £1.64m this year. His “package” included a cash allowance of £479,000, as well as benefits of £23,000, a company car, fuel and medical insurance payments. The DMGT chairman and chief executive, Viscount Rothermere, received a salary of £1.32m and a profit-related bonus. Of course, these so-called salaries are not salaries or wages as generally understood, or received by the company’s ordinary employees, but mostly surplus value created by the employees.

Indeed, said Rothermere, “I would like to think our employees for their magnificent response to the torrid market conditions”. So, at least Rothermere is well aware as to where the profits come from. In typical capitalist newspeak he added: “As a result of this, we sadly had to release over 2,500 employees across our business.” In plain English, they were fired; they got the sack!

Just capitalism as usual.

PEN

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