Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has tabled a resultion at Tesco’s forthcoming AGM; he duly obtained the statutory support of 100 shareholders and tabled the resolution before the final deadline on 16 May.
“[This resolution]. would force it to adopt RSPCA standards or renounce its claim to allow its birds a life free of pain. The motion was tabled before a final deadline.”
Tesco, a company not famed for taking such things lying down, has decided that HF-W must pay them £86,888 for the cost of sending this resolution out to its 235,000 shareholders. Interesting that this year they sent out the AGM papers out 2 weeks earlier than last year; *and* his resolution was in in time.
For what it’s worth, I think Tesco – much as I loathe them – are quite entitled to sell chickens that are raised in appalling, yet legal, conditions, to people who don’t want to spend money on better quality food. The fault here is not, I don’t think, with Tesco, but with DEFRA (gosh, really?) and consumers.
But this tactic of theirs with regard to a legitimate shareholder’s legitimate concerns is really not impressive.
No doubt if Hugh mentions their tactics in a public forum, Tesco’s highly trained squad of attack lawyers will be all over him like a rash demanding squillions in compensation. See recent Private Eyes regarding Tesco’s aggressive anti-criticism stance abroad.
What they’ve done is ensure that there are lots of resolutions next year.