No more pensioners' lunches - Tom Glocer

Mike Dixon sent an e-mail to Glocer about the lack of a pensioners’ lunch this year. The lunch was originally held in London every year and then cut back to every other year. The last one was held on 28 April 2008, ten days after Thomson completed its takeover of Reuters. More than 600 people attended.

The CEO replied to Dixon: “We took the decision (reluctantly for me) not to continue pensioners lunches for only the Reuters part of our company in London.

“With 55,000 current staff in locations all over the world, and despite the strong historic ties to London, I felt we could no longer justify only holding these events in London. We did look at the costs of expanding the events to every location where we have a few thousand employees, but this proved too expensive and unmanageable.

“I am sorry to be the kill sport here.”

Fellow pensioner Roy Langley commented: “Kill Sport or Kill Joy, this was the one occasion when we could get together with old colleagues. It didn't have to be such a grand do, it's not much to ask for the thousands of years of service all the pensioners have given.” ■