Serco AGM stutters before starting

by: AWPC

Outside the QEII Conference Centre with banner

Rogue shareholder with banner in the sun, outside the QEII Conference Centre .
PHOTO: AWPC , info@aldermaston.net

London: Today around ten anti-nuclear activists attended the Serco annual general meeting, held in the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in central London. A further group staged a protest outside the venue.

As the meeting began one woman stood up and, as a point of order, suggested that the meeting be abandoned due to the "illegal nature" of some of Serco's business. Shortly after a second woman was ejected clutching a banner with an anti-nuclear message. Several other protesters were removed - or left of their own volition - after raising questions about Serco's involvement with WMD. The meeting was disrupted several times, much to the annoyance of regular shareholders who appeared to feel that "causing a scene" about nuclear weapons was spoiling the event.

Campaigners are opposing Serco's involvement in a 25-year contract to manage AWE Aldermaston, reportedly worth £5.3bn to the joint venture company (of which Serco represent one third).

Speaking outside the venue, one woman from the Aldermaston Women's Peace Campaign - who organised the protest - said "Serco have dirty fingers in a wide range of dirty pies, from prisons to PFI hospitals, to WMD. Almost 30% of their turnover comes from 'defence' contracts. We want to draw attention to Serco's profiteering from British nuclear weapons and call on their private and commercial investors to disinvest from them. "

For more details on Serco's involvement in Britain's nuclear weapons programme (and more), http://www.aldermaston.net/campaigns/serco_2004.php

Source: Aldermaston Women's Peace Campaign