Bakers Union and MP’s Tell Scrooge Bosses to Pay Workers Redundancy Before Christmas

The Bakers Union and MP’s are again demanding that Orchard House Food pay workers, at their recently closed Gateshead plant, the redundancy payments they are owed before Christmas. As things stand the company that supplies the likes of Marks and Spencer and Pret A Manger, and which is still a going concern with a factory still open in Corby, is saying they can’t pay them their redundancy payments until after the New Year. Resulting in these workers being left without any income over the New Year and struggling to pay for basics like food and energy.

Local MP’s are seeking urgent meetings with senior management of Orchard House Foods. Ian Mearns MP has also tabled an Early Day Motion calling on Orchard House Foods to pay the workers the money they are owed before Christmas.

Mark McHugh, Bakers Union Organiser, said:

“The treatment of these loyal workers, some of whom have 20 plus years of service is disgusting.They have been left high and dry in the lead up to Christmas with no pay. They have not even had their p45’s, making it harder to find work elsewhere too. Meanwhile Orchard House Foods continue to operate and make profits elsewhere.The company needs to show some basic human decency, stop being Ebeneezer scrooge, and pay these workers what they are due and give them their p45’s so they can eat and stay warm during, let alone enjoy, Christmas.”