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Sports cars perk for Remploy bosses who sacked thousands of disabled staff
Last updated at 02:22am on 27.03.08
On the defensive: Bob Warner
But for managers at the country's biggest employer of the disabled, the outlook is not so bleak.
Although 2,500 of their workers will lose their jobs by the end of this month as state-owned Remploy cuts costs, the top team are driving around in company cars worth a total of £8million.
The firm, set up in 1945 to provide skilled work for the disabled, employs workers in 83 factories making items from school furniture to nuclear protection suits.
About 80 per cent of its staff are disabled. The closures will halve the numbers, although some will be found work with mainstream firms.
Critics said yesterday that the taxpayer-funded cars bosses still enjoy will rub salt in the wounds of those worrying about their future.
Remploy's Whitehall company car scheme covers 441 managers and sales staff. Bob Warner, the chief executive, drives a 2.7litre diesel Mercedes sports car, which
would sell for about £29,000. Others drive sports cars and off-road vehicles. Only three of the cars driven by managers and sales staff cost less than £10,000.
Mr Warner defended his vehicle, saying: "I drive 25,000 miles a year on Remploy business and need a car that is reliable. It is only a small Mercedes and it has a diesel engine which is more environmentally friendly.
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One for the boss: A Mercedes CLK 2.7 diesel
"Cars are essential for our employees to do their job of getting out to find work for disabled people, selling to our business customersor getting around our sites. If we took away the cars, there would be no jobs for anyone.
"In a survey of 123 companies comparable with Remploy, the Remploy company car fleet of 441 vehicles is lower than the 493 vehicles average in other companies. The average list price of cars driven by Remploy staff is £19,000 which is also comparable with other organisations of similar size."
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Ten for the team: A Saab 9-3 SportWagon
Critics disagreed. Phil Davis, of the GMB union, said: "The fact that there was this spending by the Remploy management is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the waste and mismanagement of the organisation over the years.
"The failed management are still in place as 28 factories are shut with 2,500 job losses."
John Grogan, Labour MP for Selby, said: "There's a real sense of anger and resentment over this. The workers at the York factory met the Prime Minister in person to save their factory to no avail.
"Now to hear that management is riding round in Mercedes rubs salt into the wound for people whose lives have been completely devastated. How can they justify abusing public money in this way?"
The vehicles driven by managers and sales staff include two Land Rover Freelanders, seven Nissan XTrail 4x4s, ten Saab 9-3 SportWagons, five Toyota Rav4 4x4s, five Volkswagen Sharan seven-seaters, three seven-seat Volkswagen Tourans, five Ford Galaxys, 14 Volvo S60s, two Volvo S80s, 15 Audi 3 Sportbacks, 38 Audi A4 saloons and two Audi A6s.
Reader views (2)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
What's changed! - the drove nice cars back in the seventies, (ex employee ) so they still haven't learnt...
- Chrissie, London
Nice cars! Ignore the jealous whiners. You've created employment for 000's in the past and will do so again when the economy picks up next year.
- Pete Porter, Lewisham
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