Thomas Cook bosses’ took home more than $36 million despite the company being in debt
<p>As hundreds of thousands of tourists are stranded across the country, there have been furious calls for the top earners of travel firm Thomas Cook to hand back their multimillion dollar bonuses.</p>
<p>In the past five years alone, 12 of the company’s top earners took home a shocking $36 million despite the company facing debts of $2.9 billion when it collapsed. This is according to the UK’s<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/22/thomas-cook-bosses-received-20m-bonuses-last-5-years-company/" target="_blank">The Telegraph.</a></em> </p>
<p>Chief executive officer Peter Fankhauser took home $15.23 million since he took on the job in 2014, whereas chief financial officers Michael Healy and Bill Scott earned a combined $12.84 million since 2014.</p>
<p>The UK’s opposition Labour Party finance spokesman John McDonnell has said that the executives should repay their bonuses.</p>
<p>“I think they need to really examine their own consciences about how they’ve brought this about and how they themselves have exploited the situation,” he said on BBC radio.</p>
<p>The company was one of the world’s oldest and largest travel operators and fell into compulsory liquidation after it was unable to secure the $368 million demanded by lenders.</p>
<p>Mr McDonnell also attacked the British Government for not doing more to help out the company.</p>
<p>“I’m worried for the holiday-makers. I really feel for them. But also 13,000 people will lose their jobs over this and I just think the government should have been willing to do more intervene, stabilise the situation, then allow a longer term plan to develop,” he said.</p>
<p>“This company once was in public ownership and as a result of privatisation it’s had real problems over the years I think because of issues around management and the lack of long-term planning.”</p>
<p>However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it would be a “moral hazard” to save the company.</p>
<p>The liquidation has left more than 21,000 people out of work and stranded more than 600,000 holiday goers overseas.</p>
<p>In Tunisia, things took a turn for the worse as tourists were locked inside a hotel by security guards.</p>
<p>“Do not come to Les Orangers hotel (in) Hamamet, Tunisia, as we’re all being held hostage because Thomas Cook haven’t paid for our stays!” she said.</p>
<p>“Everyone’s being charged nearly 3000 pounds to leave. The security gates are locked and no-one can leave nor can any coaches get in to take people out.”</p>
<p>A spokesman for Thomas Cook later said the issue had been resolved and guests allowed to leave.</p>
<p>"We are aware that a small number of customers were asked to pay for their hotel room before leaving Les Orangers in Tunisia … this has now been resolved and customers flew home as planned. We continue to support our customers in all our resorts," they said.</p>
