Daily Mirror (UK): GROTESQUE: Union blasts Shell's £372 a second profit: “SHELL sparked outrage yesterday by revealing profits of £372 a second.”: “Union Amicus called the profit "grotesque" and accused Shell of putting cash before staff safety. The company was fined £900,000 in April for health and safety lapses over the deaths of two Scottish workers in 2003. Keith Moncrieff, 45, and Sean McCue, 22, were overcome by gas on the Brent Bravo platform.”: Friday 29 July 2005
SHELL sparked outrage yesterday by revealing profits of £372 a second.
The oil giant made £5.85btUion in the first half of the year - up 27 per cent on the same period in 2004.
The firm's profit is just below the near £6billion - or £422 a second -reported this week by rival BP.
Union Amicus called the profit "grotesque" and accused Shell of putting cash before staff safety. The company was fined £900,000 in April for health and safety lapses over the deaths of two Scottish workers in 2003. Keith Moncrieff, 45, and Sean McCue, 22, were overcome by gas on the Brent Bravo platform.
Amicus official Graham Tran said: "As a matter of urgency Shell must use these inflated profits to invest in improving maintenance standards on offshore facilities." Friends of the Earth renewed calls for a windfall tax on the company.
Shell chief executive Jeroen van der Veer said: "We spend a lot of money on fading new oil and gas and it's the right thing to do. Otherwise supplies will remain tight and prices will continue to rise."
Shell added that millions were being spent on maintenance and health and safety issues.
Despite soaring fuel prices for motorists, Shell claimed it has recently lost money at the pump.
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