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Paddy Briggs

Shell’s failure to keep its pension promise

Shell’s failure to keep its pension promise

Extensive comment by Paddy Briggs on the posting on a website “Shell’s failure to keep its pension promise appears in the public domain Paddy Briggs”

(EXTRACT FROM THE POSTING: “Shell Shocker. Even with gas gushing like never before at the oil majors, Britain’s largest, Shell, is reluctant to share the spoils with those who have made its profits over the years.”

COMMENT BY Paddy Briggs

The senior management of Shell is used to dealing with criticism – enormous profits, high levels of remuneration for top executives and continuing criticism of their environmental record and plans come with the job. But this story on UK Pensions policy in “Private Eye” on 17th March must have come as an unwelcome surprise.

As a Shell Pensioner and former Trustee of the UK Fund I can confirm that the “Eye” story is substantially true. The “Shell Contributory Pension Fund” (SCPF) is the largest of the two Funds referred to and at a valuation in excess of £17.6bn and a funding level of 117% it is one of the UK’s largest and most secure. The Fund, which is closed to new members, has some 36,750 members of whom less than 3,000 are active. Members in receipt of a pension number just under 27,000 and the total pensions paid in the last reported year was some £500 million. This means that the average Shell pension is around £18,700. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s revived interest in Wind Energy needs to be taken with a pinch of salt

Article by Paddy Briggs in response to a recent story in “The Times” – “Wind farms are back on Shell’s horizon.” Taken with his permission from Paddy’s Blog.

My 40 years in Shell taught me one thing – it is a Corporation that’s very good at oil and gas, but hopeless at anything else! In my time here’s a partial list of things we tried but couldn’t make work:

  • Nuclear
  • Metals
  • Coal
  • Forestry
  • Solar
  • Wind
  • Agrochemicals
  • Electricity Generation
  • Convenience Stores
  • Biofuels
  • Fast food
  • Home insulation
  • Natural Gas retailing…

The way to the top in Shell is based on the skills of finding and extracting of hydrocarbons occasionally augmented by those who can refine, market or trade and transport them. If in doubt the top management always retreats to its oily comfort zones. We dipped a toe in many waters but diversification was not really what we did. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

CHAPTER 11: Shell insider information

We receive insider information about Shell from a variety of sources. From disgruntled Shell employees; from Shell itself in response to Subject Access Requests; from information, Shell has sent to us by accident and from searching and retrieving documents from court files.  We have, for example, published a leaked internal email from an incoming Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc on the same day he sent it, resulting in another huge embarrassment for Shell.

As indicated above, we receive insider information about Shell from a number of different sources. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Insider Information Leaks to John Donovan

John Donovan in 1999

Extracts from the ebook “John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare” (now available on Amazon websites globally)

Extracts from pages 155 to 164 inclusive

We receive insider information about Shell from a number of different sources.

The first is from Shell itself.

Shell has supplied Shell internal documents and internal emails directly to me in compliance with a series of SAR applications.

The internal documents revealed that Shell secretly set up a counter-measures team and mounted a global spying operation in a determined, but unsuccessful bid to stop the flow of Shell insider information to me.

Another source is from disgruntled Shell employees who have supplied insider information and Shell internal documents and internal emails. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

SHELL SCANDALS

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Retired Shell official accuses company of ‘more leaks than the White House’

Bill Campbell, retired HSE GROUP AUDITOR, Shell International, comments on Paddy Briggs damning conclusion about Shell FAT CATS

The Lonely Elephant

Prelude may or may not turn out to be a white elephant but certainly from the leaked transformation documents it would appear it will be in any case a lonely elephant. 20 some years in gestation it appears that mega FLNG projects are out. As for the fat cats Paddy if Shell continues to leak (Pernis et al), more leaks than the White House, the fat cats may not be around. Are they taking their eye of the ball – who is running the business, with all this transformation stuff and reported loss of common sense and experience I read about on this website from current employees, it makes you think. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Paddy Briggs on revolting Shell FAT CATS

TIMES ARTICLE

Paddy Briggs outspoken on revolting Shell FAT CATS

By Paddy Briggs

Once again Matthew Parris speaks for me. When I spoke at the Royal Dutch Shell AGM this year against the Company’s precipitate decision to abandon Shell’s Pensioner support scheme I did so during the section on Director remuneration. The directors pay themselves millions – the CEO €10m plus, plus. The Pensioner Liaison Rep. scheme they jettisoned cost < £1m. It’s the rich wot got the riches – the rest of us are just the little people who don’t count. We have no voice. Do the elected Trustees of our Pension Fund look after our interests (I tried to when I was one)? The evidence is they do not – or the system doesn’t allow them to. Like Parris I have a comfortable lifestyle. Not a three big houses lifestyle. Not a new car every year lifestyle. Not a pay for education for the grandchildren lifestyle. But comfortable and no more than I deserve. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

SHELL HAS FALLEN FROM GRACE SAYS RETIRED SHELL EXEC

This has been a pretty abysmal story of failed management, insensitivity to the Pensioner community and obfuscation. I appreciate that you personally do not have the Shell heritage connection that I and most of my 30,000 fellow Shell pensioners have. Some of us, like me, may be critics but that is based on how Shell once was and sadness that in all too many areas it has fallen from grace.

By John Donovan

Printed below is the reply letter from retired Shell executive Paddy Briggs to Shell UK Limited Chair, Sinead Lynch on the subject of Shell’s ruthless cost-cutting at the expense of support services to 28,000 Shell UK pensioners.

READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH: Shell Chair admits unequal Shell pensioner support 

Since Paddy is enjoying an active retirement with photographs of his travel exploits appearing on Facebook, I know that his interest is not self-motivated. He has acted out of concern for less fortunate fellow Shell pensioners. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Chair admits unequal Shell pensioner support 

Sinead Lynch, Chair Shell UK Limited

Astonishingly, the Shell Chair admits that the downgraded support arrangements for Shell UK pensioners are “over and above that provided for Shell pensioners in other countries around the world.” I wonder what the foreign second class Shell pensioners will make of this admission of Shell pensioner inequality made by the Country Chair of Shell UK Limited? Is pensioner discrimination based on nationality compatible with Shell’s claimed business principles? 

By John Donovan

In December 2016, we published an article reporting that Shell is scrapping the network of 45 Pensioner Liaison Representatives established over 40 years ago, who represent 28,000 Shell UK pensioners. Shell said the action was down to cost-cutting arising from the BG takeover and the low price of oil. 

See: Shell cost-cutting plan will undermine the welfare of its pensioners

The cost-cutting explanation has been confirmed again in a letter dated 7 June 2017 from Sinead Lynch, the Chair of Shell UK Limited sent to retired Shell executive Paddy Briggs, until recently an elected Director of the Shell Contributory Pension Fund. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell board confronted by pensioner welfare question from Paddy Briggs

RETIRED SHELL EXEC PADDY BRIGGS

Shell board confronted by pensioner welfare question from Paddy Briggs

Regular visitors may recall my article published in December 2016 Shell cost-cutting plan will undermine the welfare of its pensioners. 

It included an extract from a Facebook posting on the subject by retired Shell executive Paddy Briggs (right). Paddy confronted the Shell board on the subject yesterday. As is evident from the response in the transcript below, they seemed ill-prepared for the question, which compared huge sums paid to Shell directors such as Ben van Beurden with welfare cuts being made to Shell pensioners. As a result of his intervention, the board has agreed to review the issue he raised.   read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Withering Assessment of Shell’s Business Principles by Paddy Briggs

Comment by retired Shell executive *Paddy Briggs on the recent article: Withering Assessments of Shell’s Business Integrity by Bill Campbell and Bruce Culpepper

“I think Mr Campbell’s comment regarding “Business Principles” is entirely valid. I worked for a time in Shell in the business sphere which developed the (then) Group’s approach to the demands for “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSD). I took it seriously as did many of my colleagues. The “Business Principles” were a part of what we delivered. It was endorsed by the Committee of Managing Directors (CMD) and became Group policy. What was lacking, however, was consistency in application. All too often, when push came to shove, the Principles were bent to allow the pragmatic pursuit of commercial goals. Shell’s competitors generally did not feel the need to promote their CSD or did so in a more limited way. Shell in some instances wanted it both ways. They wanted to be seen as corporately responsible, but they also wanted commercial progress. The pursuit of profit. Nothing wrong with the latter of course, it’s what business is about. But to do this at the cost of corporate responsibility at the same time as promoting your unique commitment to CSD reeks of hypocrisy” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

OPL 245: I think Shell may be in a spot of bother

Postings extracted without his permission from the Facebook page of retired Shell executive Paddy Briggs…

This was actually on the 8:00am news on ! I think Joe Shell might be in a spot of bother.

I cannot comment on the latest allegations about Shell that are hitting the headlines – I would just say that they should be looked at in the context of the Company’s “Business Principles” :

http://www.shell.com/…/glob…/corporate/sgbp-english-2014.pdf

The Principles were introduced when I was an employee. I supported them but my colleagues will recall that I argued strongly that if they were not to be just PR Flimflam there had to be a conscious and internally regulated process to see that they were applied. When I looked at Corrib some years ago I concluded that if there was such a process it wasn’t working in this case. The latest news raises further questions. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell cost-cutting plan will undermine the welfare of its pensioners

By John Donovan

Today we publish below a notification letter dated 8 December 2016 sent by a Shell HR VP to all Shell UK pensioners. 

Basically, Shell is intending to scrap the network of 45 Pensioner Liaison Representatives established over 40 years ago, who currently represent 28,000 Shell UK pensioners. Although Shell still rakes in billions of dollars in annual profits, the reason given is cost-cutting arising from the BG takeover and the low price of oil. 

The letter, pdf copy attached, is signed by a Shell HR VP Jonathan Kohn who openly admits that what is proposed is a “significant change”.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Separating ‘Shell Marketing’ from the Upstream

Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 11.45.09

Screen Shot 2015-12-23 at 13.33.20One of the issues surrounding the takeover of BG by Royal Dutch Shell that most commentators have missed is that it will make RDS even more of an “Upstream” company than it is now. The exploration and production of hydrocarbons is ALL that BG does.

It is also by far Shell’s core business. In the circumstances it makes little sense for RDS to continue with its “Downstream” (Refining, Marketing, Chemicals, Trading …). 

These Shell-branded businesses cry out to be freed from the yoke of having to exist in a largely alien world where they are starved of attention and capital.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell/BG needs Downstream like a hole in the head

Screen Shot 2015-12-23 at 13.33.20RETIRED SHELL EXECUTIVE PADDY BRIGGS SAYS:

Screen Shot 2015-12-23 at 13.11.48

Screen Shot 2015-12-23 at 09.03.45Above is a comment by retired Shell executive Paddy Briggs posted on an article published 23 Dec 2015 by The Independent: “The many reasons why Shell’s deal with BG will happen in 2016

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

BG acquisition offers Shell opportunity for major strategy change

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 15.26.21

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 08.12.04By Paddy Briggs

As a Shell “lifer” – more than forty years if you include my time as a Director of the Pension  Fund – I cannot recall a bigger strategic shift than the acquisition of BG. It offers the Corporation a unique opportunity to do what Tom Peters called “stick to its knitting” – to concentrate on what it’s really good at.

BG is an “Upstream” company. It only does exploration and production of oil and gas. And that is what Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) is good at too. To the man or woman in the street it is the Shell emblem standing over a Shell petrol station for which it is best known. But over the years this part of the business – never, in truth, that important to the heavies at the top – has declined in importance. The “Downstream” – the refining and marketing of oil, gas and chemicals – is pretty much cast adrift from the Upstream. The engineers, geologists and accountants in the highest echelons of Shell never really understood it anyway! There are no longer any economies of scale from being involved in oil from wellhead to petrol pump, if there ever were.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.