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Telegraph bosses list of shame 

2/4/2015

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BOSSES LINKED TO TAX DODGING, BLACKLISTING, ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS, JOB LOSSES, PUBCOS AND TORY DONORS ARE SIGNATORIES TO TELEGRAPH LETTER

List of shame shows that voters have a stark choice - a party governing in the interest of corporate bosses and tax breaks for the wealthy or a party seeking to provide rights and protection for working people says GMB

GMB has identified bosses, among the 103 that signed the letter to the Daily Telegraph today (1st April 2015) asking voters to support the Tory Party, from companies with links to tax dodging, blacklisting, zero hours contracts, pubcos, potential job losses and collapse of Southern Cross care homes and well as known Tory donors. The details are set out below. See notes to editors for full list of all 103 signatories.
Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said “The 103 company bosses talking about what is good for them include:

·        The boss of one company named in the Lux leaks tax dodging scandal;

·        The bosses of two blacklisting companies;

·        The bosses of at least two companies linked to workers on zero hours;

·        The bosses of five pubco companies accused of ripping off pub customers;

·        The boss of one company where there are potential redundancies;

·        a landlord of care homes run by Southern Cross which collapsed in 2011;

·        30 known Tory donors giving the impression they are not partisans.


This list of shame shows that voters are faced with a stark choice - a party governing in the interest of corporate bosses with zero hours contracts and for tax breaks for the wealthy elite or a party seeking to provide rights and protection for working people."

The list of shame is as follows:

Boss of one Lux leaks tax dodging company:

Tidjane Thiam CEO, Prudential Plc Prudential Plc
Prudential had files released in December 2009, advised by PwC on project ‘Lindsell Malta Investments’.

Hyde Dollco, S.a.r.l. currently owned by Hyde Holdco 3 Ltd, a company that is part of the Prudential PLC Group. It holds Class B1 shares for approximately USD 1,065m and Class B2 shares for USD 15,000 in Lindsell Malta Investment Ltd, a company resident in Malta. The shares held in the Maltese company have been financed by a loan granted by Prudential (Gibralter two) S.a.r.l for approximately USD 1,167m. Hyde Dollco is part of two Forward Sale Agreements concluded with Deutsche Bank Group under which it agreed to sell to Deutsche Bank its Class B1 and B2 shares in the Maltese company for USD 1,106m.

Hyde Dollco will use the proceeds, together with other funds, to grant loans for USD 2,3m and USD 1,162m to Prudential (Gibralter two) S.a.r.l and Prudential Capital Holding Company Ltd for 6 months.

In July 2009 Prudential were involved with Project Phoebus Malaysian restructuring, and investment involving £130m of investment.

Two blacklisting company bosses:

Philip Green CBE Chairman, Carillion Carillion
John Morgan CEO, Morgan Sindall Morgan Sindall
Blacklisting in the construction industry came to light when in 2009 the ICO seized The Consulting Association (TCA) database of 3,213 construction workers and environmental activists used by 44 companies to vet new recruits and keep out of employment trade union and health and safety activists. TCA was run by Ian Kerr based in Worcestershire.

Carillion, and associated companies, have been described by Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd as ‘heavy users of the Consulting Association in terms of the amount of information provided by the Carillion Third Parties on workers. Further, the number of occasions on which the Carillion Third Parties are recorded as refusing employment to workers is particularly high compared to other members of the Consulting Association.’

In new evidence to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on blacklisting Liz Keats from Carillion received a private and confidential letter on TCA headed paper from Ian Kerr dated 22nd February 2005 on plans to extend blacklisting into the NHS.

Morgan Est and Morgan Ashurst who merged in 2010 to form Morgan Sindall are companies known to have used The Consulting Association blacklist.

There will be a hearing in the High Court in London on 14th May seeking compensation for 122 GMB members blacklisted by Carillion and other construction employers. The claims were served on 27th November 2013. GMB’s claims were joined with a further 449 claims by other unions and parties at a High Court Hearing in July 2014.

At least two zero hours bosses:

Andrew Coppel CBE CEO, De Vere De Vere
Nick Robertson OBE Founder and CEO, Asos Asos
GMB has members who work in the kitchens at Staverton Park Hotel near Daventry, that is owned by the De Vere Group, GMB had to fight for permanent hours contracts for some of them who were on zero hour contracts for nearly four years. There are always issues with bullying and harassment. There are two grievances at present..That's why Andrew Coppel wants to keep a Tory government in power, to keep workers down!

ASOS the online clothing and logistics company is based in Barnsley. GMB has had constant issues with health and safety eg hot working conditions, access to water etc. There is a huge turnover of agency staff, zero hours contracts where workers can be sent home or called in when not on shift. They are against workers having rights and are just a really bad employer.

Five Pubco bosses:

Rooney Anande CEO, Greene King Greene King
Ralph Findlay CEO, Marstons Marstons
Jonathan Neame CEO, Shepherd Neame Shepherd Neame
Simon Townsend CEO, Enterprise Inns Enterprise Inns
Michael Turner Non-Executive Chairman, Fuller, Smith & Turner Fuller
GMB and others campaigned for many years for Parliament to legislate to free tied pubs tenants from the grip of these pubcos bosses. The new law introducing a free market for drinks finally received Royal Assent last month after a backbench Tory revolt.

The property companies own over half of Britain’s pubs. They charge sky high rents to tied tenants of these pubs to pay interest on massive financially engineered debts. These debts are held mainly by bondholders in offshore tax havens.

Interest payments on these huge debts have to be paid each week before the tenant pours a pint and regardless of whether s/he can make ends meet or not.

To pay these sky high rents a pint of lager is on average 80p per pint higher and ale is 65p per pint higher than justified by inflation and like for like changes in taxes since 1987. This is pricing pubs out of the market and they have closed in droves.

In 2009 an Office for Fair Trade report concluded that the average tied lessee is being overcharged by pubcos by around £12,000 per annum or £230 per pub per week, after higher “wet rents” and lower “dry rents” are factored into the equation.

Potential job losses boss:

Sir Charles Dunstone Chairman, Dixons Carphone and Talk Talk plc Dixons Carphone and Talk Talk plc
GMB is dealing with members at Carphone Warehouse in Wednesbury in West Midlands. There is a potential closure of the whole repair centre site with some staff being relocated to a Dixons site in Nottingham, others will face redundancy.

Landlord of former Southern Cross care homes:

Nick Leslau Chairman, Prestbury Investments Prestbury Investments
One of the landlords of the care homes run by Southern Cross which collapsed in 2011 putting 30,000 elderly and vulnerable residents at risk of being put out of their homes.

30 known Tory donors:

DFS 
Alex Baldock Shop Direct 
Lord Bamford JCB 
Cobra Beer 
Zameer Choudrey Bestway 
Neil Clifford 
Ron Denis 
Towergate 
Sir Charles Dunstone 
John Elliot 
Julian Granville 
Bloomberg 
Westfield 
Aidan Heavey 
Oliver Hemsley 
GCH Capital 
Sir George Iacobescu Canary Wharf 
Travelex 
Nick Jenkins 
Nick Leslau 
Sir Cameron Mackintosh 
Tony Pidgley CBE 
Sir Nigel Rudd 
Fuller, Smith & Turner 
Ernst and Young 
Veetee Rice 
Paul Walsh 
Wates 
The Hon. Charles Wigoder 
Caledonia Investments 
End 

Contact: Kamaljeet Jandu, GMB National Equality and Diversity Officer on 07956 237178 or Lisa Johnson 07900392 228 or Martin Smith, GMB National Organiser on 07974 251722 or GMB Press Office 07921 28988.

Notes to editors

Full list of signatories to Telegraph

Rooney Anande CEO, Greene King Greene King
Surinder Arora MD, Arora International Arora International
John Ayton MBE Founder, Bremont Watches Bremont Watches
Richard Baker Chairman, DFS DFS
Alex Baldock CEO, Shop Direct Shop Direct
Lord Bamford Chairman, JCB JCB
Duncan Bannatyne Founder, Bannatyne Group Bannatyne Group
Robert Bensoussan CEO, LK Bennett LK Bennett
Lord Bilimoria CBE Chairman and Founder, Cobra Beer Cobra Beer
Charlie Bradshaw MD, Matrix APA Matrix APA
Baroness Brady Vice chairman, West Ham United West Ham United
Graham Chipchase CEO, Rexam Rexam
Zameer Choudrey CEO, Bestway Bestway
Neil Clifford CEO, Kurt Geiger Kurt Geiger
Steven Cohen CEO, Blue Inc Blue Inc
Glenn Cooper MD, ATG Access ATG Access
Andrew Coppel CBE CEO, De Vere De Vere
Gerald Corbett Chairman, Britvic Britvic
Peter Cullum CBE Founder and Deputy Chairman, Towergate Towergate
Ron Dennis CBE Chairman, McLaren Technology Group McLaren Technology Group
Julietta Dexter Owner, Communications Store Communications Store
Annoushka Ducas MBE Founder, Annoushka Jewellery Annoushka Jewellery
Bob Dudley CEO, BP Plc BP Plc
Sir Charles Dunstone Chairman, Dixons Carphone and Talk Talk plc Dixons Carphone and Talk Talk plc
John Elliot Chairman, Ebac Ebac
Mark Esiri Director, notinthehighstreet.com notinthehighstreet.com
Ralph Findlay CEO, Marstons Marstons
Richard Glenn CEO, Ladbrokes Ladbrokes
Ben Gordon Chairman, Powerleague Powerleague
Julian Granville MD, Boden Boden
Peter Grauer Chairman, Bloomberg Bloomberg
Philip Green CBE Chairman, Carillion Carillion
Michael Gutman OBE President and COO, Westfield Westfield
Wendy Hallet MBE MD and Founder, Hallet Retail Hallet Retail
Jenny Halpern Prince Founder, Halpern Halpern
Andy Harrison CEO, Whitbread Whitbread
Aidan Heavey CEO, Tullow Oil Tullow Oil
Oliver Hemsley Founder and CEO, Numis Numis
Joe Henderson Founder and CEO, Henderson Henderson
Vernon Hill Founder and Chairman, Metro Bank Metro Bank
Anya Hindmarch Chairman, Anya Hindmarch Anya Hindmarch
Brent Hoberman Founder, mydeco.com, co-founder of lastminute.com mydeco.com
Cassie Hutchings CEO, GCH Capital GCH Capital
Sir George Iacobescu Chairman and CEO, Canary Wharf Canary Wharf
Alan Jackson Chairman, The Restaurant Group The Restaurant Group
Peter Jackson Former CEO, Travelex Travelex
Nick Jenkins Founder, Moonpig.com Moonpig.com
Luke Johnson Chairman, Risk Capital Risk Capital
Neil Johnson OBE Chairman, E2V E2V
Ben Latham Jones Head of Ealing Studios Ealing Studios
Richard Joseph Co-founder, Joseph Joseph Joseph Joseph
Ray Kelvin Founder and CEO, Ted Baker Ted Baker
Nadir Lalani Founder and CEO, 99p Stores 99p Stores
Nick Leslau Chairman, Prestbury Investments Prestbury Investments
Rhydian Lewis CEO, Ratesetter Ratesetter
James Lipscombe MD and Owner, The Chesterford The Chesterford
Derek Lovelock Chairman, Mamas and Papas Mamas and Papas
Sir Cameron Mackintosh Founder, Cameron Mackintosh Cameron Mackintosh
Ron Mackintosh Chairman, CSR CSR
Edward Mellors Director, Mellors Mellors
Tom Molnar CEO, Bread Bread
John Morgan CEO, Morgan Sindall Morgan Sindall
Matt Moulding CEO, The Hut Group The Hut Group
Stephen Murphy Chairman, Wyevale Garden Centres Wyevale Garden Centres
Jonathan Neame CEO, Shepherd Neame Shepherd Neame
John Neil Chairman and CEO, Unipart Unipart
Nick Newbury CEO, Original Travel Original Travel
Jonathan Newhouse Chairman and CEO, Conde Nast International Conde Nast International
Richard Nichols CEO, Instinctif Partners Instinctif Partners
Mike Norris CEO, Computacenter Computacenter
Tim Oliver Chairman, Hampden Holdings Hampden Holdings
Sir Dick Oliver Former Chairman, BAE Systems BAE Systems
Alan Parker Chairman, Mothercare Mothercare
Tony Pidgley CBE Chairman, Berkeley Group Berkeley Group
Thembalath Ramachandran CEO and MD, Bristol Laboratories Bristol Laboratories
Nick Robertson OBE Founder and CEO, Asos Asos
Sir Stuart Rose Chairman, Ocado Ocado
Richard Rose Executive Chairman, Crawshaws Crawshaws
Chrissie Rucker Founder, The White Company The White Company
Sir Nigel Rudd Chairman designate, Meggitt Meggitt
Rakesh Sharma CEO, Ultra Electronics Ultra Electronics
Baroness Joanna Shields Chairman, Tech City Tech City
Jasminder Singh OBE Chairman and CEO, Edwardian Group Edwardian Group
Rob Templeman Chairman, RAC RAC
Tidjane Thiam CEO, Prudential Plc Prudential Plc
Sarah Thomson Founder and CEO, Addictive Points Addictive Points
Simon Townsend CEO, Enterprise Inns Enterprise Inns
Michael Turner Non-Executive Chairman, Fuller, Smith & Turner Fuller
Steve Varley Chairman, Ernst and Young Ernst and Young
Moni Varma MD and Chairman, Veetee Rice Veetee Rice
Matthew Vaughn Owner, Marv Films Marv Films
Ollie Vigors MD, Longshot Kids Longshot Kids
Robert Walker Chairman, Travis Perkins Travis Perkins
Malcolm Walker Founder, Iceland Iceland
Paul Walsh Chairman, Compass Group Compass Group
James Wates Chairman, Wates Wates
George Weston CEO, Associated British Foods Associated British Foods
Mike Wheeler MD, Auto Styling Auto Styling
Nick Wheeler Founder, Charles Tyrwhitt Charles Tyrwhitt
The Hon. Charles Wigoder Executive Chairman, Telecom Plus Telecom Plus
Paul Wilkinson Chairman, Thorntons Thorntons
Will Wyatt CEO, Caledonia Investments Caledonia Investments
Sir Hossein Yassaie CEO, Imagination Technologies Imagination Technologies

Press release from GMB 
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