M-WAY SERVICES
BY MICHAEL PRINGLE ROADCHEF workers hope the UK Government will intervene to end a 20-year battle to get their hands on tens of millions of pounds owed to them.
In 2014, after years of wrangling, the workers reached a settlement that meant they should have been handed the cash, which was owed to them from an employees’ share option.
But because of a dispute with the tax man, they have yet to see a penny of it.
The workers say that in the meantime, some of them have suffered financial difficulties and run into debt.
Margaret Gibson, 64, from Shotts, who worked at the Roadchef restaurant at Hartill services in Lanarkshire, said: “Being denied what I am entitled to has had a huge impact on myself and my family.
“On numerous occasions over the years, I’ve had to borrow money and pay interests on loans. My husband and I have both found ourselves unemployed over the years.
“I’m upset that I still can’t have the benefit of this money. It’s a ridiculous length of time to wait. All these years, people could have had the benefit of this.”
Former colleague Jeanette McPherson, 48, from Chapelhall, Lanarkshire, added: “A lot of people have suffered hardship needlessly because of this.”
The workers’ case has been highlighted in the UK Parliament and a Government inquiry dealing with tax disputes are considering it.
The row dates back to 1986, when Roadchef ’s then chief executive Patrick Gee set up an employee benefits scheme to give workers the chance to acquire shares in the company.
He died at the age of 43 before the scheme was up and running.
Gee’s successor Timothy Ingram Hill managed to take control of the shares, which made him about £30million when the company were sold in 1998.
Around 4000 employees received a fraction of what they should have and their Roadchef Employee Benefits Trust (REBTL) took Ingram Hill to the High Court in London.
Although there was no suggestion that Ingram Hill acted illegally, the trust won a ruling against him in 2014. And the workers thought they would get what they were due following an out-of-court settlement.
But it then came to light that Ingram Hill had paid HMRC £10million in tax from the sale of the shares.
REBTL have been pushing since then for HMRC to repay the £10million. But it’s claimed REBTL have gone beyond the timescale allowed to claim the cash.
About 20 staff who worked in the Harthill services are among Scots employees who are affected.
Margaret Main, 53, who worked there