Police find immigrant accusation unfounded
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• Allegations that WI-I Smith's newspaper distribution operation employed illegal immigrants were discovered to be "unfounded" following a police investigation at a warehouse in Croydon.
The issue was raised by disgruntled newspaper distribution staff at the group's annual general meeting last week.
A spokesman for the group says that representatives from the police and the Department of Social Security did visit the Croydon site on 19 September, following allegations of benefit fraud. "But it was a routine inspection of which we were fully aware," says the spokesman. The police spoke to everybody and are taking no further action." Distribution staff, angry at possible pay cuts of 2.7% after Christmas, vented their fury at the meeting.
W1-1 Smith News says that it has been forced to look at working practices because of highly competitive conditions in the publishing industry.
Although a company spokesman would not confirm the pay-cut plan he agrees that WH Smith is negotiating "competitive pay settlements".