A trade union fighting for higher pay and better conditions for care workers at Britain’s biggest private care home company, Southern Cross, is to demonstrate against its biggest landlord, the Emir of Qatar, when he comes to Britain on a state visit on October 26.
The GMB has been running a campaign against Southern Cross since it sold half the freeholds of its homes to the Qatar Investment Authority, owned by the Emir’s family via an Isle of Man company, and started raising charges and rents.
Over the last three years the company – which has 752 care homes, 38,603 beds and employs 44,000 staff – has raised rents by 16.8 per cent. But Southern Cross has declared a loss and deferred any decision on dividend payments to shareholders until December. It has embarked on an efficiency drive, an aggressive increase in charges and brought in private equity investors.
The latest interim accounts for this year show it raised its revenues by £19.9 million to £48 million. The GMB has already demonstrated outside Harrods, bought by the Qatari royal family from Mohamed Al-Fayed earlier this year.
Mary Turner, GMB president, said: “The Qatari Investment Authority have no interest in decent care for the elderly. Quite simply, it’s a right royal Qatari rip-off. They charge more for a shopping bag in Harrods than they pay their carers in our homes to look after the most vulnerable.
“The Qatari Investment Authority need to use their power and wealth to help reduce the rents of Southern Cross homes and improve standards for residents and staff. And GMB will continue to demonstrate until they do.”
Tribune asked the Qatari Investment Authority to comment but had received no reply at the time of going to press.
