Friday June 27, 02:31 PM
Telly Chef Gets The Bird At Tesco AGM
By Sky News
Tesco shareholders have voted against a resolution from TV cook Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall which called for the retail giant to improve its chicken-rearing standards. The star of Channel 4's River Cottage series put forward the resolution
at the company's annual general meeting.It requested the supermarket comply with the minimum conditions on rearing birds laid down by the RSPCA. By selling factory-farmed chickens Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall claimed Tesco was "breaching its own animal welfare policy". But the resolution, which needed the approval of at least 75% of shareholders to be passed, won just under 10% of the vote. Tesco was also expected to come under fire over claims that Indian workers supplying it with clothes are being paid as little as 16p an hour. Charity War on Want had flown in a researcher from India to present the potentially damaging findings to shareholders. It claims Tesco is being supplied by a factory in Bangalore whose staff take home less than £1.50 a day on average and work a basic 54-hour week. The lowest paid allegedly earn less than £7 a week making goods that end up in the chain's successful Florence and Fred clothing range. Tesco, which made a £2.8bn profit last year, said the allegations were "unsubstantiated". Simon McRae, of War on Want, said: "Again and again, scandals exposing UK retailers exploiting garment workers underline that the public cannot trust stores to police themselves. "It is high time the British government legislate to stop this abuse." But the supermarket hit back, saying attempts to discuss its approach to ethical trading with the charity had fallen on deaf ears. A Tesco spokesman said: "Once again we call on War on Want to provide the evidence and not to hide behind claims that they are protecting workers by withholding evidence." Tesco was strongly criticised earlier this week for importing produce from Zimbabwe amid claims the deals help to prop up the Mugabe government. But the store insisted it was supporting the country's small farmers, not the regime.
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