Fujitsu UK pays workers bonuses because it sits on Publish Workplace scandal contribution
Fujitsu pays bonuses to UK workers this 12 months regardless of the continued controversy round its involvement within the Publish Workplace scandal and its delayed contribution in direction of the ensuing prices.
The Japanese provider has not dedicated to an quantity it is going to pay in direction of the billions of kilos UK taxpayers have needed to pay because of the scandal. Nor has it made an interim cost, regardless of repeated calls for from campaigners.
Following info from a supply in regards to the newest workers bonuses, Pc Weekly contacted Fujitsu for remark.
An organization spokesperson mentioned: “We provide aggressive packages to our colleagues throughout the nation, that are benchmarked in opposition to trade requirements. Our extremely expert workforce is targeted on persevering with to ship essential companies for the UK.” Fujitsu UK workers additionally obtained bonuses final 12 months.
Peer James Arbuthnot, who has campaigned for justice for subpostmasters for over a decade and a half, mentioned: “Fujitsu do, after all, must pay their workers. However in addition they have obligations – that are monetary, in addition to ethical – to offer redress to the subpostmasters they’ve so dreadfully wronged.”
Arbuthnot, who final 12 months demanded Fujitsu pay £700m within the interim, added: “It’s excessive time Fujitsu administration in Japan, in addition to the UK, recognised that honour requires greater than phrases and kicking the can down the street.”
In January 2024, within the speedy aftermath of ITV’s dramatisation of the Publish Workplace scandal, Fujitsu’s then European boss, Paul Patterson, informed a Parliamentary choose committee listening to that the corporate was “morally obligated” to contribute to the prices associated to the Publish Workplace Horizon scandal confronted by UK taxpayers. However greater than two years on, it has nonetheless not paid a penny.
Patterson’s phrases have been described as a hole gesture by campaigners, together with peer Kevan Jones.
Jo Hamilton, a former subpostmaster from Hampshire, who was wrongly convicted for false accounting, mentioned: “Morally, the proper factor to do can be to contribute to the Horizon carnage now, however they’re a morally bankrupt firm, so it doesn’t shock me in any respect.” Hamilton had her wrongful conviction overturned in a landmark courtroom case in April 2021.
The Fujitsu spokesperson mentioned: “We’re engaged with authorities concerning Fujitsu’s contribution to compensation.”
Astounding value to UK taxpayers
UK taxpayers have funded over £1.5bn in monetary redress to subpostmasters alone, with extra nonetheless to come back.
Taxpayers have additionally footed the invoice for the Publish Workplace’s large authorized prices. For instance, a response to a freedom of knowledge request from a campaigner recognized on X as Monsieur Cholet revealed that from 2020 as much as and together with 2025, the Publish Workplace spent £83m with legislation agency Herbert Smith Freehills for help as its authorized consultant on the public inquiry, and £3m on its help for Publish Workplace witnesses with their statements to the inquiry.
However authorized prices related to the Publish Workplace scandal whole far more, extending into tons of of hundreds of thousands. It spent £100m of taxpayer cash defending itself within the 2018/19 group litigation order, the place a bunch of subpostmasters, led by Sir Alan Bates, proved the Publish Workplace’s Horizon pc system was accountable for unexplained errors that subpostmasters have been made answerable for. Taxpayers additionally funded the authorized prices of subpostmasters who have been victims of the scandal when making their compensation claims.
Then there may be the general public inquiry, which value about £48m between 2000 and 2024 – the monetary assertion that covers 2025 has not but been revealed. Taxpayers are additionally funding a nationwide police investigation, Operation Olympos, which is predicted to value over £50m.
Tens of millions of kilos of taxpayers’ cash was spent on changing Fujitsu’s controversial Horizon system, a lot of it wasted on failed makes an attempt because the Publish Workplace, beneath large public and authorities strain, rushed into initiatives earlier than the present plan was in place.
Because of delays in changing the Horizon system, Fujitsu has continued to win contracts with the Publish Workplace, additionally value tons of of hundreds of thousands of kilos.
Pc Weekly first uncovered the scandal in 2009, revealing the tales of seven subpostmasters and the issues they suffered because of the Horizon system.
