UNIONS have condemned the boss of logistics giant XPO for taking a multimillion-pound bonus despite the company receiving furlough support.

The $80 million (£57m) Covid-19 pandemic bonus to US chief executive Bradley Jacobs comes amid growing scrutiny into “pandemic profiteering.”

Analysis of government figures show that XPO claimed at least £3.28m in furlough payments in December and up to £10.5m in February, Unite and GMB said.

If this figure is averaged over the entire period of the furlough scheme to date, then XPO would have received more than £100m, with the company potentially benefiting from taxpayer-funded business rates relief too, the unions said.

XPO employs more than 25,000 workers in Britain and carries out transport and logistics work for many of the leading supermarkets including Morrisons, the Co-op, Waitrose and Iceland.

Unite and GMB pointed out that front-line staff, who have worked throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, will not receive any extra pandemic payments despite the company recording $16.5 billion (£11.8bn) in revenue last year.  

Unite national officer Matt Draper said that the bonus was a “complete kick in the teeth” for workers.

“There is clearly one rule for the bosses and another for the workers on the front line who have been denied any kind of bonus,” he added.

GMB national officer Mick Rix said: “What XPO spends on executive pay is nothing short of greed.

“It’s time the workforce was treated with respect and given a share in the vast company profits that they help contribute to.”

The firm has been contacted for comment.