Major British corporate names NatWest, John Lewis and Virgin Media O2 quit the Confederation of British Industry on Friday as a fresh media report about rape allegations deepened a crisis at the business group, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The CBI, which says it represents 190,000 businesses including many of Britain's biggest companies, could face a battle for survival as the number of companies cutting ties with it grows.
Following rape allegations and news of a police investigation last week, the Guardian newspaper reported claims on Friday by a second woman that she had been raped by two CBI colleagues.
She blamed the CBI's culture for a lack of support after the incident, while sources told the paper that a third woman who said she had been stalked by a CBI colleague was discouraged from reporting it to police.
In a statement published on Friday, the CBI said an urgent root-and-branch review of its culture was proceeding and it would respond to the investigation by law firm Fox Williams early next week and set out its plans for change.