"Make no mistake, Chris O'Shea’s multi-million pound pay rise has been paid for by workers and their families who have struggled with rocketing energy bills."
Unite the Union’s General Secretary Sharon Graham has slammed Centrica’s CEO after he saw his pay packet more than double to £8.2m, at a time when millions are struggling due to the cost of living crisis.
Centrica, the owner of British Gas, has seen its share prices rise steadily over the past two years, which has coincided with a surge in global gas prices after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The company has decided to more than double its chief executives pay packet. Chris O’Shea earned a basic salary of £903,000, which was topped up by cash and share bonuses worth an extra £7.3m.
The decision to pay him more than double what he earned last year, has been met with much criticism, with the General Secretary of Unite the Union slamming it as ‘disgraceful’.
Sharon Graham said: “Make no mistake, Chris O’Shea’s multi-million pound pay rise has been paid for by workers and their families who have struggled with rocketing energy bills.
“It is a disgrace that profiteering from companies like Centrica is still allowed to go unchecked. Unite is calling for a return to public ownership of our energy infrastructure so that we can bring down customers’ bills and supply British industry with cheaper energy.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.