Bosses’ greed doomed Thomas Cook say staff
DISTRAUGHT former Thomas Cook staff last night blasted greedy executives who took millions in bonuses which “could have saved the firm”.
Company records show that senior directors raked in more than £20million in pay, benefits and bonuses over the last five years.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested bonuses could be clawed back during the failed company’s insolvency process.
Around 22,000 staff lost their jobs – including 9,000 in the UK – after the travel firm collapsed.
Many former staff face a desperate search to find homes and jobs, having worked abroad for so long that they have “nowhere to go back to”.
The Civil Aviation Authority said 46,000 people were flown home in the first three days of the operation to bring back 150,000 stranded Britons.
Heartbreaking
But staff staying to help with the biggest peacetime repatriation fear they might not be paid.
They will have to claim the money once all customers return.
Staff were told last Friday “it was business as usual, everything is fine. If customers call, just tell them that”.
But they received the news by email on Monday from chief executive Peter Fankhauser to say they were being made redundant. Some staff said the announcement details were copied from a Government website.
Mr Fankhauser, 58, who became Thomas Cook’s CEO in 2014, pocketed £8.3million in pay, benefits and bonuses until 2018 – including a £2.9million share award in 2015. Chief financial officers Michael Healy and Bill Scott have together been paid around £7million since 2014.
Kathryn Akroyd, 25, who helped A SHAMED Government lawyer who upskirted a woman on a Tube train arrives at court for sentencing with his head bowed.
Married pervert Daren TimsonHunt, 54, also shouted “Leave me alone” at waiting photographers.
He had faced up to two years under new laws cracking down on the vile crime – but dodged jail.
As he was put on the sex offenders’ register for five years yesterday, the court heard of his victim’s ongoing suffering and how he is currently on benefits with his career seemingly in ruins.
Timson-Hunt filmed the woman, who cannot be named, with his camera phone while she travelled to a job interview in July.
The disgraced lawyer was later spotted by a police inspector when he followed her from the train and tried to film her again.
In a statement read to Westminster magistrates, the victim said: “I felt incredibly violated. I found it intrusive and it made me annoyed and made me lose focus in my interview. It has made me change my behaviour. I haven’t worn a dress or skirt, considering customers with holiday problems on a 24/7 helpline, criticised bosses. She said: “If they walked in I wouldn’t be able to look them in the face. When I read about their bonuses, I just thought ‘greedy’. Those bonuses you took could have saved the company.”
She told how some holidaymakers had a whip round for employees.
“I have got a friend who is a rep in Zante. A guest in the hotel went around putting a note under everyone’s door saying these four reps have nothing to go back to,” she said. “[Staff] all walked into the hotel to a recent weather. I fear should I wear a dress on public transport it risks it happening again. My personal space has been violated.”
Timson-Hunt, who admitted guilt, is the fourth person prosecuted under the new legislation, covering the making of images or videos under someone’s clothes to see their genitals or underwear.
In addition to an £85 fine, he was given a 24-month community order, 60 hours of unpaid work and 30 days’ rehabilitation.
Timson-Hunt, of Thurrock, Essex, hid his phone under his leg to film the woman on the District Line in round of applause and all got handed a bunch of envelopes that had money and condolences in.”
Mrs Akroyd said: “It is heartbreaking. Thomas Cook was the only company I wanted to work for.When I was doing travel and tourism at college, they came in to speak to us, told us all about the jobs.”
She wanted to apologise for telling customers that their holidays will be fine. “I feel like I lied to them,” she said. “I want to issue an apology to everyone I’ve said it will be fine to, because we were being told it was Central London. When she got out at Embankment, he followed and waited at stairs until she got to the top before trying to film again.
He was challenged by the officer, who told him: “You are trying to take photos of this young lady.” He replied: “Yes. I am sorry. I don’t know why I did it. I am an idiot.”
When his phone was examined, police found an earlier upskirting video from June, which he was not charged over.
Timson-Hunt was a senior lawyer for the Department of Trade until August and had been involved in Brexit negotiations. But the court heard no one will hire him now and he is currently on benefits.
Nicholas Ornstin, defending, said his life was destroyed by a “moment of madness”. He added: “He had a responsible, well-paid job. He has lost that. It is touch and go whether his wife will remain with him.”
Timson-Hunt, who has apologised to his victim, had his phone confiscated and he is banned from carrying a device capable of making images or filming footage.
He was also sacked as a director of an Essex primary school.
‘He had a well-paid job. He lost that. It is touch and go whether his wife will remain with him’
fine, and we were being kept in the dark as well.”
Ethan Arnill, who joined the firm from college at 18, slammed Mr Fankhauser’s email. He said: “A personalised email saying ‘thanks for all your help’ would have been much better than copying and pasting from a Government website.
“A lot of our colleagues have been working abroad for years, they don’t have a home to go back to.
“When all our stuff gets sent back to our home address, they have not got a home address to send it to.”