The gap between directors' wages and the lowest paid workers is widening, according to research by the GMB union.

The research found that directors and chief executives of major organisations earned an average of £214,062 per year, while waiters and waitresses earned £11,439, meaning that the gap between the best and worst-paid widened from 19 times to almost 20 times, over the past year.

Other high earners were brokers (£101,000), financial managers and chartered secretaries (£84,063), medical practitioners (£78,882), and senior officers in national government (£69,404)  followed by aircraft pilots and flight engineers (£65,285).

The lowest paid were waiters and waitresses (£11,303), followed by school midday assistants (£11,439). Other low earners were playgroup leaders/assistants (£11,550), retail cashiers and check-out operators (£12,295). Kitchen and catering staff, laundry staff, florists and bar staff earned around £12,500, just below hairdressers and barbers (£12,928).

The average UK wage was £29,999 for full time staff, the study found.