Wake Up to Money - 05/07/2010

A report from the proxy voting agency Manifest, has found the pay of FTSE 100 Chief Executives has risen by an average of 5% over the last two years, despite a fall in earnings per share over the same period. We ask Manifest's chief executive, Sarah Wilson, why executive pay has risen so quickly, when we have experienced the worst financial crisis for 70 years. According to the financial services firm Ernst and Young, economic growth over the next few years will be driven by medium-sized companies known as 'mid caps'. These are companies employing at least two hundred and fifty people and with a turnover of more than twenty million pounds a year. Bob Forsyth, Head of Strategic Growth Markets for Ernst & Young, explains why these types of companies will see impressive growth. Union officials will meet later to discuss how they should respond to both the new political landscape and the fallout from cuts to public spending. It comes after a series of ballots and disputes, most recently the CWU balloting its members at BT as part of a dispute over pay. Frances O'Grady, Deputy General Secretary of the TUC, will be giving a speech to the conference, and we find out what she will say. Charity shops suffered last year, as the recession increased the number of shoppers while reducing the volume of donations, often meaning shops ran out of stock. David Cryer, Chairman of the Association of Charity Shops, explains what solutions will be discussed at today's Annual Conference.