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In 1999 Gap made profits of $1.1 billion. Gap CEO Millard Drexler received $172.8 million in salary and bonuses. Yet women in its Russian factories are paid just 11 cents an hour and work in sweatshop conditions. In the US colony of Saipan, in the Western Pacific, a multi-million pound lawsuit has been filed against Gap and many other multinational firms challenging their use of indentured slavery.
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Last year Michael Smurfit, chief executive of Jefferson Smurfit, was paid a massive £5.2 million. And believing in family values, his brothers did ok too. Alan got £511,916 and Dermot got £507,191. His son, Tony, wasn't left out either, he got £548,932. And that's without even mentioning perks like Michael Smurfit's "incentive" bonus of £7,639,370 worth of shares. Wage restraint, how are ye!
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According to the US Department of Commerce, since 1997 US firms have exported $97 million in "crime control equipment". This included electroshock weapons, leg irons and serrated thumbcuffs. Recipient countries included well known users of torture like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Taiwan, Brazil, Israel and Egypt. More than 80 US companies are involved in the manufacture, marketing and export of this type of equipment.
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Welfare for the rich is the only welfare payment not threatened with cutbacks by Charlie McCreevey. Among recent grants from the Industrial Development Authority were £543,000 to Oracle Corporation (owned by America's second richest person, Larry Ellison, who is worth $58 billion), and £2.4 million to Dell Computers (owned by Michael Dell, America's thirteenth richest person with $16 billion). Other scroungers who were given our tax money included IBM who got £22 million in 1999, Rank Xerox (£6.7 million), and Citibank (£4.4 million).
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