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Perhaps the reason the OFT is bringing so many cases is down to very poor management at these firms.

Staff are increasingly expected to do more and more with fewer and fewer staff so it is hardly surprising that staff morale plummets. With many jobs being outsourced or offshored staff who feel aggrieved against or abused by their employers may willingly turn as whistleblowers.

Also now the ease of following email trails and the difficulty with destroying electronic data or messages it must be easier to prove cases. The days of companies shredding files or burning documents is surely in the past.

For example, the dissemination of a harmful email or memo to hundreds of staff could be clear evidence of an abuse being widespread or systematic.

With tens of thousands of jobs likely to go in the City expect lots of willing whistleblowers when many of the cases that come out of the credit crunch wind their way through the courts.

> to share information in a chummy way to
> the potential harm of consumers

I鈥檓 a Canadian, but I live here, and I always get the impression that, in Britain, it鈥檚 almost as if 鈥渂usiness鈥� thinks it鈥檚 somehow independent of the public it serves! Perhaps it鈥檚 a 鈥渃lass thing鈥�, whatever "class" means.

It's good to see it being stamped out - we don't need cosy little clubs.

Though the OFT is impartial, I'm sure the government will hope it levies a large fine to help bring extra revenues into the governments accounts to offset its deficits.
Hopefully recent action by the OFT will deter and stop other businesses that break competition law. Price rigging hurts taxpayers and consumers in general and it's everyone who picks up the cost of inflated goods and services when businesses conspire to set prices. UK Plc needs to be a place where everyone can do business and be safe that such practices do not happen, and if they do then action will be taken to stop them.

Could it be that the OFT is now a revenue-gathering arm of the government? They seem to be slavishly following the government's anti-smoking line in persecuting the tobacco industry, but in this case they seem to be doing it with the object of making even more money for the Treasury.
As for profiteering from the smoker, surely the Chancellor is the greatest culprit?

Where do such fines go? Are they an innovative new taxation product?

The people who have been harmed by the actions get nothing back in reality.

I would like to see the directors of firms involved been sacked and unable to manage a company again i would then feel as though at least something other than lip service was being paid to what is endemic among these types of companies but very difficult to prove.

An example must be set when people are caught.

Nice little earner for the chancellor though in these difficult times.

The kettle calling the pot black springs to mind the government has taken billions from smokers. It has also taken tax from the tobacco firms Do they now want them to reduce there prices so that a few more kids can afford to smoke them.The term in the interest of smokers is a laugh after years of trying to stop people smoking and telling it was in there interest.

It amazes me that they would need to actively collude. The supermarkets are always telling us how they constantly check their prices so they probably know how much each is charging for everything anyway.

With all the worried bank staff, estate agents and homeowners about perhaps the next boom will be in cigarette sales, time to buy shares in tobacco companies ?

Whether the big boys collude ( or competitive price parity) isn't so much of an issue with me . What bothers me more is the mark up. Recently a respected popular weekly scientific publication showed the costs , for example , of coffee on the supermarket shelf. After all the growers, shippers and processing costs had been met the shelf price was about ten times that of the product that left the factory in this country . It's the justification for that sort of price hike - plus any other of that magnitude - I would like to see investigated , specially when one large chain talked of 拢2.8billion not long ago.

Distortion of this nature is a concern and I think this is another impediment to a free market. We already have enough barriers to capitalism with the likes of Darling and Brown messing around with the public finances, without the private sector imposing unecessary taxes on consumers as well.

I am a smoker and have been for many years if the companies listed are fined am I going to get money back. I DOUBT it very much as my proof has gone up in smoke unlike people who may get there bank charges back

Why has the Office of Fair trading picked this moment to bring these allegations ?

Have the OFT been asleep for the last decade ?

Or is there some special reason why now is the moment to unleash their accusations ?

All sounds very political to me.

Again, it's worth noting that most of the Shares in Tobacco companies (just like the Banks) are owned by our Pension Funds.

Who else ?

Lets all shoot ourselves in the foot again.

When we come to collect our Pensions in years to come we'll all end up the poorer for it.

Except maybe for the new Lord Peston, oops he's not inherited his title yet !

Robert,

Just a new source of easy revenue for a desparate government that is broke.

Perhaps the sudden flurry of activity is to divert attention from the banking cartel?

If the tobacco companies are fined for fixing the market then they'll get fined 拢370M.

The banks on the other hand, keep the profits and the taxpayer gets "fined" instead.


A 拢100B fine for the taxpayer to buy a bankrupt businesses, Northern Rock.

And another 拢50B fine for the taxpayer for the bad business practices of the banks.

As the recent court case shows the OFT had to go to court to see if it was ALLOWED to rule on merely part of bank business practices.

I agree with geoffthereff and other comments, that this is politically driven.

Isn't itnteresting that over the last 18minths or so, all the regulating departments that this govenment have created since in government to ensure competion within their domain, that have laid dormant for years and done NOTHING at all, have suddenly surfaced and are flexing their muscles. For instance, BA being find humdreds of millions for supposedly fuel price fixing, OFGEM recently fined national grid 拢40million for some petty wording in a contract for meters that didnt allow competion, and now the OFT wittering on about price fixing on ciggerettes. This government is broke and is desperate for money. I think the Prime minster has kicked the backsides of all the 'OFwhatever' departments and told all of them to find something, anything, so that companies can be fined. Because where does all the money go? To the treasury!

Ah, the Pensioners of the future, being made to pay for the whims of the present.

Every Fine levied will reduce the value of the Shareholdings held by UK Pension Funds.

Of course helping the Banks helps UK Pension Funds (a bit).

So maybe it evens out ?

But I doubt it, in the end the Ordinary Pensioner will no doubt be worse off,
again.

Their does seem to be a lack of respect endemic in our Culture towards our older Citizens.

The lowest State Pension in Europe, and our Pension Funds,being directly and indirectly raided, for every Soundbite and popularist cause.

And the Media likes to make out that everyone wants to work for the rest of their lives !

Personally, I don't know anyone who wants to work over the age of 60.

I know a few people who HAVE to, no choice.

And I suspect if our UK companies keep having their Shares bashed, nearly EVERYONE will not be able to afford to retire.

Wageslaves to the Grave.