British United Shoe Machinery - Aftermath.

Aftermath.

The Budget of March 2007 included the good news that workers would receive most of their expected pensions from an improved Financial Assistance Scheme. A long standing meeting arranged by Loughborough MP Andy Reed with minister James Purnell took place shortly afterwards following which, both BBC and ITV regional news led with interviews of those attending. For some, it was too late. The Mail on Sunday, whilst crediting pensions minister Mike O'Brien MP with achieving a fair outcome, described the suffering of Chris and Elaine Barrett who both died before any Government compensation could be awarded and the effects on George Curtis, a Parkinson's sufferer forced to work beyond 55, the age of ill health retirement at BUSM. ITV showed Curtis at work and followed up later when, thanks to Altmann's campaigning, he was awarded a pension at 60.
Sir Ronald Cohen and Apax insist all questions have been addressed but in the absence of any meaningful enquiry, it was left to MPs, Ros Altmann, and the media to comment on Apax's behaviour.

Ros Altmann described BUSM as "one of the worst cases of scheme wind-ups that I have seen. ..the actions of the former owners - Apax - have been immoral."

MP Ashok Kumar said, "I think these people needed flogging. I feel so angry on behalf of decent upright citizens robbed of their basic human rights. ...'These are greedy, selfish, capitalists who live on the backs of others. In a modern democracy these people have been robbed"
For the Mail on Sunday it was "Shame on Apax."