Darren Johnson, Green Party Mayoral Candidate expressed his outrage at the enormous bonuses Network Rail Directors are receiving despite their abysmal performances and annual loss of £1.1 billion.
The company, which is subsidised by the taxpayer, said it had given its five executive directors bonuses equivalent to 24 per cent of their basic salaries. Darren Johnson said, "This is outrageous. Train services are appalling in the South and yet this company is subsidised by the very people that day after day have to put up with poor quality service, late and dirty trains, and old stock. Network Rail then has the audacity to expect tax payers to contribute to the excessive lifestyles enjoyed by these incompetent directors."
John Armitt, the chief executive, will receive a bonus of £112,320 on top of his £468,000 basic pay. His deputy, Iain Coucher, gets £99,840 in addition to his £416,000 wage.
Darren concluded, "Bonuses should be related to performance and anyway a salary of £468.000 is almost 20 times more than that of the average Londoner. Add on the extra bonus and John Armitt is earning over £½ million to run an inefficient company. Wage differentials like this do nothing to help the rich/poor divide. If these Directors had any concern for the plight of the long suffering traveller, they would take a cut in pay and put the money saved into providing better services."
NOTES TO EDITORS
· Darren Johnson is 38 and was selected as the Green Party’s candidate for Mayor of London in May 2003. He was elected to the London Assembly in May 2000 where he is Leader of the Green Party Group. He was also elected to Lewisham Council in May 2002.
· The Mayoral election will be held on June 10th at the same time as the elections for the London Assembly and the European Parliament. At the last Assembly elections the Greens scored one of their best ever results in the Party’s history, securing 11.1% of the vote across London and winning three seats on the 25-member Assembly.
· Darren Johnson’s vision for a sustainable Green London can be found on his website www.johnsonformayor.org.uk
· Jean Lambert is London’s Green Member of the European Parliament and she is No 1 on the list for the London Green Party. Her website is www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
· Green Party Assembly Members are Cllr. Darren Johnson AM, Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones AM and Noel Lynch AM