Vodafone’s annual shareholder meeting was today damaged by a group of former franchisees, demanding responsibility for the company, escalating due to long-standing disputes escalating in public.
Franchise operators claiming they were deported to financial destruction, homelessness and, in some cases, suicide desperate, faced with Vodafone CEO Margherita Della Valle and chairman Jean-Françoisvan Boxmeer, demanding answers and accusing the telecom giant of continuing to ignore their health.
A former franchisee, 42, from Boston, Lincolnshire, challenged Della Valle directly during his Annual Society, asking:
Chairman Van Boxmeer responded on behalf of the company, reiterating Vodafone’s position that the case remains a commercial dispute. Della Valle did not directly deal with the challenge. Despite Vodafone leaders’ repeated assurances to the company open up dialogue, franchisees said no meaningful negotiations were underway.
The confrontation marks a dramatic new chapter in the ongoing legal struggle, which will be fully tried. The claim was brought up by 62 former franchisees, saying Vodafone imposed sudden and arbitrary contracts, as well as disproportionate fines and fines and kickbacks, which left many business owners ineffective in repaying their debts and impoverishment.
Franchisees believe that the issue goes far beyond business divisions, describing it as corporate accountability that ruins life and governance failures. Their campaign has attracted political attention, and MPs have recently debated the issue in Parliament. Business Secretary Gareth Thomas confirmed that the government is closely monitoring the case, some of whom have compared it to the post office’s horizon scandal and may have implications for future regulation of UK franchises.
A franchisee’s spokesman said the decision to attend the annual shareholders’ meeting was frustrated and the repeated refutations of Vodafone’s leaders.
“Again, Vodafone is trying to portray it as a business dispute. It’s much more than that – life has been ruined,” the spokesperson said. “We came to the annual shareholders’ meeting to get meaningful participation from Margherita Della Valle because she has the ability to resolve the dispute. After everything we have lost – our business, our house, our mental health – we deserve the answer.”
“We will not continue to be ignored. We call on the CEO and the board to show real leadership, meet with us and be responsible for the damage caused by Vodafone.”
The protests were during a tough time for Vodafone, which faced pressure from slow performance of shares, which led to overwhelming in several key markets. The company’s decision not to consider legal claims as a liability in its fiscal 2025 financial statements raises questions about its seriousness in its allegations.
