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Virgin Media Parent Liberty Global Sets $4 Million Pandemic Relief Fund For Employees With $1 Million From CEO And Matching Donations

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Liberty Global, the pan-European video and broadband group and parent of Virgin Media, said CEO Mike Fries donated $1 million out of his 2020 salary to a $4 million fund to help employees affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The rest of the executive team is donating $1 million of salaries and directors fees and the company will kick in another $2 million to the new Liberty Global Response Fund.

Liberty Global will match all donations. It said Liberty Global ‘s 27,000 employees will be eligible to confidentially apply for assistance via an online portal.

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“On a day-to-day basis we are doing everything we can to protect the safety and well-being of our employees, but sometimes that is not enough. Those with elderly parents, partners out of work, or other challenges need additional help to get through this crisis. We want them to know that we are here for them in their time of need. I am hopeful that the Liberty Global Response Fund continues to grow in size and will serve as a model for future support inside our
company,” said Fries.

The executive leadership team initially contributing to the fund consists of 15 senior executives working at its central offices and operating companies in the U.S., UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Eastern Europe.

Liberty Global said Virgin Media is offering unlimited minutes and a data boost to mobile customers in the UK at no extra cost; providing enhanced connectivity to critical public services such as NHS hospitals; delivering extra TV channels for free, including kids, drama and documentary programming. Telenet in Belgium and UPC in Switzerland, Poland and Slovakia are also offering combinations of faster service, free broadband and donated devices and enhanced communication.

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