Ex-workers stage protest (From Wiltshire Times)

Ex-workers stage protest

10:39am Friday 3rd September 2010 in Trowbridge By Rachel Allen

Former Cromwell Press workers confront Andrew Hemmings

FORMER Cromwell Press employees confronted the general manager on Tuesday demanding their wages, after printing firm boss John Boden told the Wiltshire Times he would pay his staff by the end of last week.

Six of the 10 members of staff who were made redundant last month turned up at the Cromwell Press building on the White Horse Industrial Estate in Trowbridge intending to stage a lock-in until they were paid.

The company’s general manager Andrew Hemmings turned up at the building at around 9.30am, while the angry group were speaking to the Wiltshire Times, and they took the opportunity to confront him.

Former accounts executive Anne Norris asked “Where is my money Andrew, where is my money?”, but he failed to answer her.

Her colleague, Claire Prach, a widowed single mother says she has struggled to cope over the past few months and wants to move away, but feels ‘trapped’ because she needs the money she is owed.

She said to Mr Hemmings: “I’m really angry Andrew. Where’s my money? I just want to move on but I can’t.”

Mr Hemmings replied generally to the group, saying: “Perhaps you would like to tell me where the stolen goods are from the factory?”

Ms Prach said: “I don’t know about any stolen goods. I just know I haven’t been paid.”

Mr Hemmings walked towards the building entrance and before entering he said: “I’m happy to talk to any of you civilly inside.”

Ms Prach said: “We can’t calm down, Andrew. We are too angry about this.”

Following the confrontation Ms Prach said she was extremely angry at Mr Hemmings’ suggestions that items had been stolen from the factory.

“I can’t believe he looked at me and asked me where the stolen goods are..”

The other disgruntled former employees were not surprised at Mr Hemmings’ response but are still angry about the situation.

The redundant staff received a letter on August 10 from Andrew Hemmings on behalf of the company about ‘arrears of wages’: ‘All employees will be treated equally so that any money made available for paying wages and salaries will be paid equally with no discriminating between existing employees and those employees who have been made redundant.”

However, existing employees were paid on Friday whereas redundant staff weren’t.

Mrs Norris confirmed that redundant staff had only been paid 30 per cent of their July wage, while current employees were paid 70 per cent. Neither have received their August wages yet.

Those who have been made redundant will be attending an employment tribunal in Bristol next month to fight for their wages and redundancy money.

Mr Boden was unavailable for comment before the Wiltshire Times went to press, despite attempts to contact him, but a spokesman for the company said: “The business is downsizing and as part of that process hopefully capital will be made available to pay the wages as soon as it can be done. There is a lot of effort to do this as soon as possible.”