John Allan, chairman of the board of British supermarket giant Tesco, and former chairman of the employers' organisation CBI, is accused by four women of sexual harassment or non-consensual physical contact, The Guardian reported on Tuesday. The group, contacted by AFP, says however that "the conduct of John Allan was never the subject of complaint when he was president of Tesco".
The British daily, already at the origin of the revelations of accusations of harassment and rape that have shaken the CBI for two months, writes that John Allan, 74, touched the buttocks of a senior executive of Tesco in June 2022 during the general meeting of the group. The man who has chaired Tesco's board since 2015 is also accused of touching the buttocks of an IWC employee at the organisation's annual dinner in May 2019, when he was chairman. Finally, the Guardian reports that John Allan, who chaired the IWC in 2018 and 2019, made "inappropriate comments during these and similar events to two other IWC employees in November 2019 and 2021 respectively".
Some of these women "said they were hurt by these alleged gestures and words and consider this behavior as sexual harassment," concludes the daily. A Tesco spokeswoman told AFP in a reaction to the Guardian article that the retail group has received "no formal or informal complaints or concerns" about "Mr Allan's conduct at the 2022 AGM". She adds that the group is "committed to ensuring that all its employees are respected and feel safe at work" and that "this is a very serious accusation, if anyone has information or concerns, we ask them to share them."
An investigation opened by the British police
According to a spokesman for John Allan contacted by the PA agency, the latter denies all the accusations against him except comments about an employee of the CBI in 2019, comments that the targeted person deemed "hurtful" and for which John Allan "immediately apologized". The employee "agreed that the incident was closed and there was no further fallout," the spokesperson added. Tesco's stock was up 0.67% to 284.90 pence late Tuesday afternoon on the London Stock Exchange.
The new accusations of harassment and sexual assault are in addition to the accusations that have targeted the IWC for two months and have shaken the British business community. The IWC, which did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment, last month fired its former boss Tony Danker "with immediate effect" for "inappropriate conduct at work". The organization also faces two rape charges against several of the organization's officials at events organized by the IWC, and more accusations of sexual harassment.
British police have opened an investigation. These allegations led to the departure of many member companies and the City of London, which represents Britain's powerful financial sector, while the government distanced itself from the CBI. New director Rain Newton-Smith has promised to "rebuild" Britain's main employers' organisation, whose survival is now in question.
