IT company 'threatens redundancy for staff voting Labour'

LabourRedundancy

GMB fury after Watford IT company 'threatens redundancy for staff voting Labour'

GMB has called out an IT company who appeared to threaten staff with redundancy if they voted Labour.

GMB has seen an email [1] seemingly sent by John Brooker, Managing Director of Watford based Storm Technologies Ltd, to his staff on Thursday 8 June, General Election Day.

The email, sent to everyone in the company, started with the hope staff had exercised their right to elect a chosen candidate or party before telling them to vote Conservative if they believed in free enterprise and progression without being taxed out of the game. [see notes to editors for full email]

The email follows up with a direct threat to employees and how they should vote:

“If by any chance Labour win, we’ll have to re-think a few things here at the company so if you value your job and want to hold onto your hard earned money vote Conservative.

“Labour voters will be made redundant first if Labour do win and things slow down……….”

Storm Technologies has recently been accepted as IT suppliers of Hardware, Software and Technology Services under the new Crown Commercial Services Agreement enabling them to be a Public Services IT reseller.

Warren Kenny, GMB London region secretary, said:

“It is unacceptable and morally and ethically wrong for a company director to tell his staff that ‘Labour voters will be made redundant first if Labour do win'.

“A boss should not be harassing employees or interfering with their right to vote for who they wish - it’s Dickensian, workhouse nonsense.

“Any staff working for John Brooker should be have been able to vote for their candidate or party of choice without fear for their jobs and their livelihoods.”

“If you want to see an example of kind of oppressive working environment seven years of Tory rule has created – this is it.”

ENDS

Contact: Gary Doolan on 07590 262 504 or GMB Press Office 07958 156846 or at press.office@gmb.org.uk

Notes to editors

Storm Technologies registered business address is: 2 The Boulevard Blackmoor Lane, Croxley Business Park, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 8YW 

According to their last set of accounts, filed May 26, 2016:

The company made £2.1 million profit in 2015.

It has four directors and 109 members of staff.

The highest paid director received £355,382 .
Shareholders were paid £1.6 million in dividends. 

Mr JR and Mrs S booker have a 100% combined shareholding. 

Mr Booker has an interest free loan of £2.9million from the company. 

The company occupies premises leased from Mr J Booker and his family and paid £372,694 in rent during 2015. 

Details here: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03998372

[1] Full content of email to staff:

"Hi Everyone, So its election day and I hope you all exercise your right to elect your chosen candidate/party

Just a heads up though, VOTE CONSERVATIVE if you believe in free enterprise and progression without being taxed out of the game.

Theresa May is not the perfect PM but a far better option for dealing with the challenges this country faces ahead than Corbyn.

Brexit negotations start in less than two weeks which will affect us all, Security and the ECONOMY needs a strong hand and Corbyn will be a nightmare.

He resents those making good money, wants to hike corporation tax up by 7% immediately, hike higher rate tax payers by another 5%, bring far more people into the 40% tax bracket (and there are a lot of you here at Storm) borrow billions which at some point has to be paid back and will generally send us backwards.

If by any chance Labour win, we’ll have to re-think a few things here at the company so if you value your job and want to hold onto your hard earned money vote Conservative.

Labour voters will be made redundant first if Labour do win and things slow down……….

Anyway, just sharing my personal thoughts with you

Feel free to vote for whoever you want but I have said my piece

JB"