Action to bring big-firm bullies to heel

OLDHAM MP Debbie Abrahams is fighting company bullying as part of the Be Fair — Pay on Time campaign.

The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP has joined forces with the Federation of Small Businesses and a cross-party group of MPs to identify ways to stop big-name customers dealing payments to their suppliers.

Over the last few weeks several large companies - including Premier Foods, 2 Sisters food group and brewers AB InBev have been criticised by the FSB.

Mrs Abrahams said: “Late payment is still a major issue, with £40bn currently outstanding. I have always maintained that a late payment culture in a company is set at board level.

“That makes it a leadership issue and it’s time that deliberately paying late, finding ways to pay late, or making unilateral changes to pre-agreed contracts is seen as being as unethical as tax evasion.

“It’s simply a case of big businesses using smaller businesses as a credit line by applying bullying tactics that are unfair and have the knock-on effect of stifling growth in the economy.

Recent research by the FSB revealed that almost one in five small businesses had been subject to some form of poor payment tactics.