Why are we so obsessed with job salaries?

WAGES dictate standards of living. Be they low or high, wages affect all our lives. But as the wages of CEOs are called into question, personally, I ask, ‘do we really care’?

Yes, I understand that top-ups should be stopped, but, still, are we angry at these people because we’re secretly jealous?

It’s like professional sports stars. We moan that they are overpaid, while secretly wishing we had a quarter of what they have.

Same with all the politicians. Of course, I agree that these people are being paid an unbelievable amount, but is it their fault they have a job that pays such ludicrous wages?

I’m not sure.

To be honest, I’m tired of listening to why people in high positions must now ‘reveal’ their wages. It seems a little like a witch-hunt.

Take Angela Kerins, of the Rehab charity, for example: was it necessary for us to call her out on her wages?

Would we ask the average electrician, waiter, or whoever, to reveal their wages?

Of course not, because this doesn’t interest us.

The media want the juicy scandal about high-powered people’s wages.

We write these crazy stories about these people and why they don’t deserve the money.

Then, these people publicly retire, get an insane bonus or a large pension, and we criticise them even more. Then, they end up in Barbados or Spain, and that is it, we can then forget about them.

The obsession with money is getting out of hand.

Yes, I am a student and I do have dreams and aspirations to become a TV presenter.

Yes, if I, hopefully, get the top job, I would want the top wages, but if I get asked about it, I’ll just respond ‘this is the job I chose, it’s not my fault that my wage is higher than the average person’s, but that’s my life’.

It’s all so unnecessary.

Is it all just part of the national past-time in Ireland — begrudgery — where we constantly slam people who earn morethan us, or have a bigger car, or a more fancy house than us?

If I choose to work in a better-paid job than you, should I get vilified?

Is it my fault someone thinks I’m capable of doing a better-paid job?

No.

I hope, some day, we will get over this silly fascination with cash, because, for my money, it’s all becoming a bit tedious.