The gravy train must end for water company bosses with firms clearly failing customers
When it comes to bonuses for water company bosses, the gravy train must stop. Disgust does not do justice when describing customer sentiment towards water firms.
No one would begrudge bosses of any company in any sector being rewarded if they delivered value for the customer. That is clearly not happening in the water sector.
Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, says she supports blocking bonuses for Yorkshire Water’s boss if the company continues to pollute waterways.
Nicola Shaw, Yorkshire Water’s CEO, received a performance bonus worth £371,000 and a salary and pension package worth £657,000.
The words ‘performance bonus’ would be laughable if it wasn’t so absurd. This was against the backdrop of the company being fined £47m for historical sewage spills and poor customer service.
Debts and dividend payments swallowing up a third of the money paid by a typical household to Yorkshire Water is simply unacceptable.
Councillors, residents, and businesses have warned about the various negative effects of water pollution on Scarborough as well as on neighbouring towns and villages such as Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay.
Water is one of the most precious resources we have and people recognise this. That’s why there is so much justified anger towards water companies.
But it shouldn’t be just about pointing a finger at Yorkshire Water. The whole sector is in need of a radical overhaul.
Not least when it comes to the opaqueness around the ownership of water companies. There needs to be a fit and proper test to ensure that our utilities are in safe hands.