Eaga workers furious over losing cash in Carillion deal

Grant Prior 13 years ago
Share

Furious workers at environment specialist Eaga have launched a protest after losing out on potential cash-payouts during the firm’s takeover by Carillion

More than 2,000 staff at Eaga – half its workforce – have signed an email petition protesting about their treatment during Carillion’s £306m takeover .

Eaga staff are angry that a trust set up on their behalf said it would waive its right to a cash pay-out for shareholders under the terms of the deal. The move could save Carillion £100m.

The Eaga Partnership Trust holds 37% of the company on behalf of the staff in a similar ownership structure to John Lewis.

But the Eaga trust’s board has voted to forgo cash payment following the sale and transfer its holding into Carillion shares without consulting staff.

Eaga staff are unhappy at being denied potential pay-outs of around £25,000 each that they would have received if the trust were to have been wound-up.

An email among staff seen by The Daily Telegraph, said: “This is £25,000 per partner that’s being unnecessarily taken from us without our say or vote, but we can make the difference.

“It’s not all about the money. It’s the principal of the matter that we as partners don’t have and haven’t had any say in the decision. But we certainly can change this.”

The Eaga Partnership Trust provides benefits for employees like cheap holiday homes and shopping discounts – but many of the partners would rather see the cash than continue to be members of the scheme.

Ken Temple, chairman of the trust, said he saw no reason why the trust should be wound up now.

He said: “We envisaged it as a long term trust and there is no reason to bring it to an end.

“Carillion told us they welcome a continued shareholding. We realised we had to make some changes to the trust deed and went to the High Court to get a judgment making sure what we were doing was right and proper.

“I’m confident we acted properly and within the power of the trustees. It’s worrying and distressing, of course, that people are upset but it’s been tested in one of the highest courts in the land.”

The takeover is scheduled to complete in April. Eaga declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the trust.

Latest news

Director jailed for exposing workers to asbestos

Ten tonnes of asbestos insulating board stripped out by unqualified workers
3 hours ago

Site labour rates start rising again

Industry's biggest payroll firm says "it feels like things could be turning round"
7 hours ago

Council finds extra £33m for Buckinghamshire link road

South East Aylesbury Link Road costs soar by nearly 30% to £147m
7 hours ago

Quartet win £490m North West & Central railway works deal

Skanska, Kier, Octavius Infrastructure and Story Contracting bag major projects deal
7 hours ago

Unite Students plans first major mixed-use scheme

Developer's first mixed BTR and PBSA project to be built in Edinburgh
23 hours ago

Galliford Try names new finance director

Rentokil's Kris Hampson joins contractor to replace Andrew Duxbury
8 hours ago

Council boss hits out at bat threat to £274m road job

Natural England could scupper scheme due to be built by Ferrovial
8 hours ago

Hydrogen-fuelled diggers to be allowed onto highways

Government to raise barrier to widespread use of hydrogen fuelled plant in construction
24 hours ago

Plans in for £118m Government hub in Darlington

Work pencilled to start later this year on new home for 1,450 civil servants
23 hours ago

New contractor highlights Henry Construction jobs on website

New firm lists jobs by failed contractor to show its experience
1 day ago

Contractors line up for £2.6bn Anglian Water AMP8 deal

Eight big names land places on pioneering @one Alliance
2 days ago

McAleer & Rushe bags first major later living project

Work to start this month on 167-flat Royal Tunbridge Wells project
1 day ago

Kier starts first all-electric prison houseblock job in Kent

Next-generation fully electric T60 prison houseblock to be built at HMP Elmley
1 day ago

Keepmoat sees better times ahead in housing market

Profits dip in 2023 despite construction of record number of new homes
1 day ago

Vistry signs partnership deals for 1,900 mixed tenure homes

West Sussex former airfield and Newmarket sites to break ground
2 days ago

Turnover at Wates tops £2bn for first time

Construction division exceeds £1bn turnover as average contract value hits record high of £48.3m
2 days ago

L&G looks to sell Cala Homes in exit from house building

Insurance giant reported to be preparing to offload 3,000 homes-a-year developer
3 days ago

Multiplex profit almost trebles as margin hits 5.5%

Revenue jumps 20% to £675m as big London scheme complete
2 days ago

TopHat puts plans to open huge Corby factory on hold

Advanced manufacturing facility was due to employ 1,000 people
2 days ago

Laing O’Rourke lands Calderdale hospital job

Enabling works to start by the end of this year at West Yorkshire site
2 days ago

Go-ahead for £475m Sunderland film and TV studios

Work to start this year on first phase Corwn Work studios
2 days ago

Willmott Dixon set for £20m Stockport Community Hub

Planning decision expected in June on Marple leisure and health clinic project
2 days ago

Police hunt for blundering dumper truck thief

Raider drove into a fence before getting stuck on a bank
2 days ago

Beattie Passive files administration notice

Passivhaus pioneer has been in business for more than ten years
3 days ago

McAlpine set for £50m space and tech centre

Northumbria Uni sign pre-con deal for new satellite research hub
3 days ago

VolkerFitzpatrick seals £34m Kent road viaduct

Work to start next year on Sturry Link Road near Canterbury
3 days ago

Eight win £600m Scottish civil engineering framework

Balfour, Farrans, Graham and Morgan Sindall win major works lot
3 days ago

Site engineer crushed to death by excavator

22-year-old victim died just months after graduating from university
5 days ago

NG Bailey fined £135,000 after hospital site death

Worker died after striking overhead beam while navigating a mobile elevating work platform
6 days ago

Kier lands £30m Mansfield Connect project

Construction to start in January 2025 on town centre regeneration scheme
3 days ago

Contractor services