Frasers defends zero-hour work as traders revolt over bonus pay

The group that owns Sports activities Direct has excused its use of zero-hours contracts, calling them “robust choices that don’t work for everyone”, because it confronted an investor riot over excessive pay for its high bosses.

Greater than half of the unbiased shareholders in Frasers, which additionally owns Home of Fraser and Evans Cycles, rejected the group’s plans for a £100m bonus scheme for its incoming chief govt, Michael Murray, and the cost of a £100,000 money bonus and pay rise for its finance director, Chris Wootton.

Frasers sought approval for the bonus schemes at a sparsely attended annual assembly on Wednesday, with solely two unbiased shareholders making it to the 9am occasion within the group’s head workplace in Shirebrook, Derbyshire.

In a particular vote on the brand new govt pay scheme, 49.1% voted to dam its introduction. Nonetheless, simply over 55% of unbiased shareholders voted in opposition to the group’s future remuneration coverage, indicating disapproval of the excessive govt pay, whereas simply over 50% voted in opposition to the remuneration report, indicating disapproval of final yr’s money bonus for Wootton.

Regardless of the protest vote, the measures had been authorised due to the backing of the group’s founder and chief govt, Mike Ashley, who owns 64% of Frasers’ shares.

Ashley sat in a wise white shirt at a desk in entrance of the assembly however didn’t communicate, strolling out straight after the formal proceedings completed. It later emerged that 26.5% of unbiased traders had didn’t again his reappointment at one of many votes on the assembly, amid issues over company governance at Frasers.

Murray, the companion of Ashley’s daughter, is meant to take over the working of the retail group subsequent yr. Below the brand new pay coverage, he’s to obtain simply over £100m if Frasers’ share worth hits £15 for 30 consecutive buying and selling days within the 4 years from 7 October 2021, up from about £7 at current. The bonus would come on high of his base wage of £1m a yr. Wootton may obtain as much as £9m below the scheme.

The influential advisory teams Pirc and Glass Lewis suggested shareholders to vote in opposition to the remuneration plan on the annual shareholder assembly, flagging “extreme payouts”, whereas the proxy voting service Minerva Analytics stated shareholders might regard the last word payout as “unreasonably excessive” regardless of the stretching goal set.

Wootton justified paying out massive bonuses after accepting £80m in furlough help and £97.5m in enterprise charges aid globally final yr, saying: “The enterprise charges aid did what it was meant to do and supported loss-making shops, significantly Home of Fraser.”

He advised the annual shareholder assembly that Frasers had achieved effectively to maintain open greater than 40 of the 59 Home of Fraser shops it purchased out of administration in 2018 “given how bust that enterprise [was] after we took it over.” He added: “The federal government assist actually supported us holding on to that many shops.”

Wootton prompt that zero-hours contracts, which Frasers has launched for retailer employees at Home of Fraser and Evans prior to now yr, had helped preserve these companies afloat. “You need to make some robust choices that don’t work for everyone for the long run good thing about the enterprise,” he stated.

Frasers has lengthy used zero-hours contracts – which have been criticised by employees’ rights teams as they provide no assure of standard working hours – at its Sports activities Direct and Flannels retailers and introduced them into its newer acquisitions through the pandemic.

• This text was amended on 7 October 2021 to incorporate particulars of the vote on the brand new govt pay scheme.