Ladbrokes accused over single-manning policy

[Awena]

Ladbrokes has denied that it puts profits before the safety of its workers after its former head of health and safety, Bill Bennett, spoke out against ‘single-manning’ at an employment tribunal. 

 

Bennett claimed he had been sacked by the company for blowing the whistle on the controversial practice. His application was dismissed, with Ladbrokes arguing it had fired Bennett “owing to a lack of confidence in his ability to fulfil his role”.

 

The Daily Mirror newspaper reported that during the hearing, Bennett said Ladbrokes chose to “prioritise profits over health and safety” by continuing the practice of allowing staff members to work alone. Highlighting the dangers of single-manning, the newspaper pointed to the murder in 2013 of store manager Andrew Iacovou, who was beaten to death by a gambler at a branch of Ladbrokes in Surrey. 

 

According to the Daily Mirror, Ladbrokes chief executive Jim Mullen acknowledged there had been “serious systemic failures” in health and safety procedures but dismissed the suggestion he had put profits before lives as “bunkum”. He added that "health and safety is a non-negotiable part of the business.”

 

A Ladbrokes spokesman said the company has been in the process of changing the policy to “voluntary only in the evenings” across its stores since January 2016.  

 

The spokesman added: “We are in the process of rolling out the new arrangements and have been recruiting over 850 extra employees to help us deliver it.” 

 

The Daily Mirror claimed that Ladbrokes saved £200m (€260.8m/$292.0m) in wages in five years, partly by “forcing” some staff to work alone from 2010. The newspaper also alleged that 10 members of staff had been seriously attacked during this period.

Source:Totally gaming

[Awena]

#update 

 

Ladbrokes is to focus on selling shops across the UK after the national competition regulator said its proposed merger with Gala Coral will only be allowed to proceed if the companies dispose of up to 400 LBOs.

 

The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally ruled that the 2.3 bn pounds ( $3.4) deal may cause competition concerns in a large number of local areas. It has identified 659 local areas in which the merger could lead to a loss of competition, which could in turn lead to a “worsening of the offer made to customers at both a local and national level”.

 

The CMA said it “is minded to require any divestiture, were that to be a suitable remedy, to be substantially completed before the merger can go ahead”. The two companies currently have around 4,000 licensed betting offices in the UK, and would become the country’s biggest retail operator should they be allowed to merge.

 

Despite the prospect of losing a sizeable portion of its retail presence, a Ladbrokes spokesperson told TotallyGaming.com that the company will now aim to meet the CMA’s requirements. 

"This is a significant milestone and our focus now will be on completing the shop disposals that the CMA have indicated they require,” said the spokesperson.

 

The CMA’s competition concerns are related only to the combined entity’s retail operations, with inquiry chair Martin Cave explaining that a company that so dominated the marketplace in some areas would be detrimental to customers.

 

Cave added: "Although online betting has grown substantially in recent years, the evidence we’ve seen confirms that a large number of customers still choose to bet in shops - and many would continue to do so after the merger. For these customers, competition comes from the choice of shops in their local area and it is they who could lose out from any reduction of competition and choice."

 

Discounts and offers of free bets to individual customers are ways betting shops respond to local competition which could be threatened by the merger. We’re also concerned that such a widespread potential reduction in competition at the local level could worsen those elements that are set nationally such as odds and betting limits.”

 

Ladbrokes’ share price was up more than 10 per cent today (Friday), and is closing in on the company’s highest mark of the year so far.

 

Source: Totally Gaming

[cocopop3011]

I've been away for the weekend so maybe I missed this but I haven't head anything! Ladbrokes is an extremely popular high street bookers here in the UK so reading this really does surprise me!