Lawyers back RoadChef staff over share dispute

Two law firms representing RoadChef staff said this week they believe they have grounds to launch a class action against the motorway service company's departing chairman and chief executive, Tim Ingram Hill.

The disgruntled staff are led by former company secretary Tim Warwick. They allege that £56m due to them after the £139m sale of RoadChef to Nikko last year had been transferred from their employee share ownership plan (ESOP) into a second trust for senior staff. This second trust was controlled by Ingram Hill, who made £75m from the sale.

The workers were expecting about £90,000 each, but some received as little as £2,300. Even the larger pay-outs were still in the low thousands.

Law firms Palser Grossman and Fox Williams (representing GMB union members at RoadChef) have been investigating the claims since April. They believe there could be between 300 to 500 potential plaintiffs if they decide to proceed with the court action, which may also target trustees of the ESOP.

A spokesman for RoadChef said the company would not comment on the accusations unless a formal action was launched.

He added that Ingram Hill's announcement earlier this month that he would step down at the end of the year was in line with his intention not to stay long after the sale and coincided with the launch of a new five-year operating plan in the new year.

by Angela Frewin

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 16 - 22 December 1999