Nothing says “we support the troops” like sacking one and replacing him with a press release.
Right on cue for the upcoming poppy season, Cummins has rolled out its latest virtue signal. A touching story about a veteran named Peter who swapped his British Army uniform for a Cummins polo shirt, now apparently fighting for “sustainability” instead of survival.
“From military precision to sustainable innovation”, they call it. A heart-warmer for LinkedIn. A gift-wrapped dose of corporate conscience. Because nothing says remembrance like a multinational diesel manufacturer using a soldier for PR cover.
The Poster Boy and the Past They Forgot
Peter’s story is tidy. Twenty-five years of service, now “helping shape the future of sustainable technology”. There’s talk of teamwork, flexibility and integrity. All the buzzwords you can cram into a paragraph before anyone asks what’s really going on.
But if Cummins loves veterans so much, maybe they should remember Simon Sunderland. A Territorial Army soldier from the same town, Darlington. A man who came home from Afghanistan and got redundancy papers instead of respect.
They called it business. The tribunal called it wrong. He got his job back only because a judge forced their hand. Cummins refused to apologise then, and they’ve never said sorry since.
Now they’re parading another ex-soldier in front of the cameras. Convenient timing, isn’t it?
Corporate Camouflage
Peter says he’s proud to work for a company shaping “green technology”. That’s the line they want you to remember. But the truth is, Cummins has spent more time shaping court settlements than the environment.
A $1.675 billion fine for emissions cheating. 600,000 trucks recalled for spewing poison into the air. Multiple lawsuits over false eco claims.
This isn’t sustainability. It’s spin.
Cummins doesn’t want you to see the smoke. They want you to see a smiling veteran in a hi-vis jacket.
Integrity, My Arse
Cummins loves that word, integrity. They print it on walls, drop it in interviews and hide behind it when they’re caught. It’s the same word they used when they fired Sunderland. The same word they used when they were fined for emissions fraud.
Integrity at Cummins means whatever keeps the share price rising.
The Real Memorial
Come Remembrance Day, they’ll post photos of poppies and polished engines. They’ll talk about honour, sacrifice and service. And not one of them will mention Simon Sunderland.
The real memorial to Cummins’ values isn’t a field of red flowers. It’s a tribunal record. It’s a soldier forced to fight for his job after fighting for his country.
So yes, Peter, be proud of your work. But understand this. Your story isn’t proof that Cummins values veterans. It’s proof they’ve learned how to weaponise them for PR.
At Cummins, remembrance isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about optics.
Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project
Sources
- Engine maker defends TA soldier Simon Sunderland redundancy decision – The Northern Echo (2009)
- Darlington TA soldier celebrates job victory – Teesside Live
- Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment) Act 1985 – UK Government Legislation
- Cummins Confidential: The Veteran They Fired – TCAP
- From Military Precision to Sustainable Innovation: Peter’s Journey – Cummins