The GMB union has issued a scathing attack on Compass, calling it "a rotten company serving rotten meals to our children" and claiming its chief executive's pay package is "obscene".
Chief executive Mike Bailey was paid £2.62m last year, according to Compass's annual report, making him one of the highest-paid directors in Britain. The company said the rise, from £2.07m in 2002, was largely in recognition of Compass reaching "very tough performance targets", which included 6% sales growth. Bailey also received shares in the year to 30 September which, dependent on hitting future performance targets, are currently worth nearly £1m.
Bert Schouwenburg, GMB London regional organiser, said: "The news of Mr Bailey's obscene pay package will stick in the throats of our members. Compass's kitchen staff are so badly paid that many have to claim benefits to make ends meet. Therefore the taxpayer is contributing directly to Mr Bailey's salary."
The GMB said that new starters in Westminster school kitchens are paid £3.85 an hour on an annualised basis. But in a written statement, Compass said the figure was misleading and inaccurate: "General assistants begin on £5.15 an hour and work for 39 weeks of the year. At the request of employees, their pay is annualised, for easier budgeting purposes during the school holidays."
Compass said it had a long-standing and very positive relationship with the GMB and was "extremely disappointed" by Schouwenburg's comments.
It added: "Compass is committed to providing the highest standards of nutritionally balanced, healthy school meals, with menus that exceed the Government's compulsory minimum nutritional standards."
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 15 - 21 January 2004