OVER 50 sacked workers launched a 24-hour picket and demonstration yesterday morning outside the Stead McAlpin factory in Cummersdale, near Carlisle.
Workers are angry that they were ‘more or less sacked on the spot’.
This came after the owners, John Lewis Partnership, sold the company on to Apex Textiles in late 2007.
Chris Oates, formerly a Unite shop steward at the factory, told News Line: ‘We were working away when we were called into a meeting at 2.00pm on April 1st, April Fool’s Day.
‘These people came in and announced the company had gone into administration. They then read out a list of names and those people had to go to another room.
‘The ones that were left were told, “You are redundant and you have 20 minutes to vacate the premises’’.
‘They gave out packs to take to the Job Centre to claim statutory redundancy plus wages owed.
‘We’ve been in touch with all the media and the local press as well as the national press.
‘We are holding a 24-hour picket today. The next step is to organise a trip to London to lobby John Lewis.’
Sacked worker and former Unite branch secretary at the site, Alan Egglestone, said: ‘I worked in the screen stores. They shafted us once they sold us.
‘They went back on what they said – that nothing was going to change for two years – we were promised we would keep our John Lewis wages and conditions, including the redundancy package.
‘But they didn’t keep their word. We’re 19 months down the line and we’ve got absolutely nothing.
‘We’re fearful for our homes and there’s no jobs out there.’
Labour MP for Carlisle, Eric Martlew, joined the picket at one point yesterday.
He told News Line: ‘I realise these people feel totally betrayed by John Lewis.
‘They predicted that the company would go bust when John Lewis sold it. This has turned out to be the truth.
‘Some of these people have worked three or four decades for John Lewis and would have been entitled to an up to £60,000 redundancy package,’ said Martlew.
Sacked worker Mark McDermott, said: ‘We did a 6.00-2.00 shift and we were called to a meeting at two o’clock.
‘The administrators came in and we were told the company had gone bust.’
He explained how the workforce was split up. He added that those sacked, ‘were told to clear our lockers out and vacate the premises.’
He added: ‘Before the 62 were sacked there were notices that 20 people were due to be made redundant by April 9.’
Caroline McCloud said: ‘I worked in the studio as a card separator for 19 years.
‘We had promises and guarantees that never actually happened. We feel very angry and very upset.’
