Ferrybridge Workshops staff left without wages over RWE dispute
Staff at an engineering workshop say they have been left without wages and unable to work due to a dispute between their employer and its landlord.Thirty-two people employed at Ferrybridge Workshops in Knottingley found themselves locked out of the premises when they arrived for work on 19 March.Staff claimed the following day they were told their outstanding wages, due 24 hours later, would not be paid.TGM Industrial, which runs Ferrybridge Workshops, said it was unable to pay rent or wages due to monies owed by the site owner, RWE. However, RWE claimed the amount owed was "a much smaller amount than the sums owed to RWE".
Father-of-three Ian Thompson, who worked at the factory as a mechanical fitter, told the BBC "every single" member of staff had been "affected in a bad way"."We have got young lads there with families who have moved to Ferrybridge in the last two months."They saw a future and it has been taken away from them through no fault of their own. The workforce has always given their all here."Mr Thompson said he had a "small amount" of savings to live off temporarily, but without knowing when his outstanding wages would be paid he admitted he may have to look for another job.He said he and his colleagues were "still shocked" about the news, adding: "From our point of view Ferrybridge needs to resolve it with RWE."We can't be kept in limbo with our wages and our future."
Shane Sweeting from the Unite trade union said it was trying "to get RWE and the employer around the table to resolve this issue".Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, whose constituency covers Knottingley, said she was "extremely concerned about what is happening and about the impact on the workforce"."I have been contacted by Ferrybridge Workshops and I have written to RWE calling for urgent discussions to resolve this and to support local jobs," she said.TGM Industrial director Tim Brooksbank told the BBC: "Although we owe some money to RWE, they actually owe us far more."They ceased paying us, which has left us strapped for cash, so we have not been able to pay the rent or the staff."Mr Brooksbank insisted his company was not "at odds" with RWE, adding: "They are, after all, our biggest customer. We want to reconcile with them."An RWE spokesperson said it had been left with "no choice" but to take legal action against TGM Industrial due to a series of missed payments.They added: "We are aware of an ongoing dispute relating to the delivery and payment of an item of substandard work from TGM Industrial to RWE."This is a much smaller amount than the sums owed to RWE."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Locals fear Britain's biggest solar farm will 'spoil views of the Malvern Hills' if plans for huge 271-acre development go ahead
Britain's biggest solar farm could spoil views of the Malvern Hills, protesters have claimed as they marched in an attempt to halt plans for the 271-acre development. Opponents to the proposals by RWE Renewables UK Solar & Storage Ltd near Powick in Worcestershire claim it will destroy the landscape and could pose a fire risk. The group from Preserve Powick Landscape and Nature (PPLAN) marched through parts of the proposed site yesterday having already erected signs around the area. They are worried that the solar farm will disrupt views of the Malvern Hills, cause harm to local wildlife and present a fire risk from batteries used to store energy. Powick resident Steve Lloyd, who lives across from the proposed entrance to the site, told how he was also concerned about increased traffic and noise in the area. He said: 'It's mainly the size of it. I'm a farmer - and it's so close to my house and my farm. I'm just thinking about what could go wrong. 'Apparently they can catch fire from the battery storage system. People are worried about the fire risk, and the wildlife. There's also the glare from it - and just the actual size of it. Traffic is also very much a concern - it's on a single track lane.' The site would be bigger than that current largest scheme in the UK, which is found at Shotwick Solar Park in Deeside, North Wales, which covers 250 acres. PPLAN leader Peter Loader, who lives adjacent to the proposed development, is concerned about fire risks and traffic disruptions which could last seven months. He said: 'The reason I've been coordinating these events that have taken place in opposition to the solar farm is primarily the impact on the landscape. 'There are a lot of people who won't be able to walk through that area - and the Malvern Hills is an area of outstanding natural beauty. 'Both the Malvern Hills Trust and the National Landscape people have objected because the view from the Malvern Hills would clearly be impacted by this site. 'The A449 has more than 20,000 vehicles a day going along it - and that is pretty much the capacity for a single carriageway A-road. 'Because they need to lay a cable from this side to the nearest substation, they're proposing putting roadworks up for seven months - and that's pretty serious.' Mr Loader said the construction would 'affect people's day to day lives' with taking children to school, but could also impact ambulances. He continued: 'Many residents are concerned about the fire risk - when they catch fire, they can't be put out. When that happens, there's a toxic vapour cloud that forms, and the fairly large housing estate is downwind.' Fellow campaigner and resident Andrea Trickett-Born told BBC News: 'I do think there is a better place for solar panels. 'It's on roofs, it's on public buildings, it's on schools, it's on warehouses, on car parks - anywhere else that's not just taking up available, usable farmland.' But Bente Klein, from RWE Renewables UK Solar & Storage Ltd, told the BBC that the site was near the National Grid and it was therefore the 'best and most suitable' location. She added that trees and hedges meant there would be no major effects on views. Malvern Hills District Council told the BBC it could not comment on the project during the planning process, but confirmed that the application was submitted in January.
The Courier
6 days ago
- The Courier
Administration extended for ex-Dundee United chief Stephen Thompson's failed business
The administration of Stephen Thompson's failed convenience shop business will extend into next year. The former Dundee United chief set up Eddy's Food Station in 2022 with ambitions to grow to 50 shops and 800 staff within five years. But two years later the business entered administration, with millions of pounds of debt. Mr Thompson was subsequently made bankrupt a week before Christmas last year. Since being appointed in April last year, administrators from FRP Advisory have been working to sell the company's assets and establish the scale of the debt. The administration process was due to conclude in April but has been extended until April 24 next year. This will give administrators more time to adjudicate on creditor claims and distribute funds. Eddy's Food Station grew to have six shops – including locations in Ceres, Leuchars and Buckhaven in Fife – though just three outlets remained at the time of collapse. A new progress report from FRP shows the scale of the company's debts. A secured creditor, Nash Business Services Limited is owed £3.8m while HMRC is due £141,000 and unsecured creditors are owed around £550,000. The three remaining stores owned by the company were sold to Dundee-based CJ Lang for £1.5m a year ago. This included sums of £35,000 for stock and £110,000 for furniture and equipment. FRP expects HMRC will be repaid in full and there will be 'sufficient funds available to make a partial distribution to unsecured creditors'. In terms of the secured creditor, the new report adds that 'an issue with the security remains unresolved, and the secured creditor is assessing their options'. Mr Thompson previously told The Courier that 'no banks would speak to him' as the company failed. He highlighted spiralling energy costs as one of the reasons the business didn't work. However, FRP said the company had 'paid premiums' to secure leases as it built up its portfolio of six stores and had also incurred 'substantial' refurbishment costs. It said three sites were sold at a substantial discount. The administrator said: 'The company has struggled with high debt servicing costs and had experienced cash flow pressures caused by high investment costs and lack of profitability.' The administrators said the extent of debts in the company meant a sale as a going concern was impossible because 'the company did not have sufficient working capital to trade in the short term and insufficient assets to liquidate to satisfy creditor demands'. Mr Thompson, who sold his Dundee United shareholding in 2018, previously stated he had invested his 'total pension pot' into Eddy's Food Station. The businessman was granted sequestration – the Scottish term for the legal process of declaring someone bankrupt – on December 18. A document available at Accountant in Bankruptcy, Scotland's insolvency service, details his level of debt at £881,833. Mr Thompson announced he had filed for bankruptcy when he was a guest on BBC's Off The Ball radio show at the start of November. When asked by host Tam Cowan what he has been up to, he said: 'Well, I've kind of hit rock bottom to be honest. I actually signed a petition for bankruptcy yesterday. 'It's not a great place to be in life but it's a fresh start for me.'
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Wales Online
Cardiff Capital Region hit with £5.25m Aberthaw power station settlement
Cardiff Capital Region hit with £5.25m Aberthaw power station settlement An independent investigation has been launched how the Cardiff Capital Region handed the process The Aberthaw Power Station pictured before its decommissioning Taxpayers will have to pay £5.25m bill after a regional body responsible for handling the Cardiff City Deal bungled the awarding of a demolition contract for Aberthaw power station. The Cardiff Capital Region, a public body which was set up to invest more than £500m in the south Wales as part of the 2016 City Deal, was taken to court over how it awarded a demolition contract for Aberthaw power station, the disused power station it controversially bought from energy giant RWE. The body, which represents 10 councils, lost a high-court legal challenge brought by a losing bidder, Brown and Mason Group, which concluded in February. Welsh Government has to plunder reserves to fill national insurance blackhole READ MORE: The former coal-powered station was acquired for £8m by the city region in 2022, with contractors Erith beginning demolition work last year. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here The region's chair Mary Ann Brocklesby gave an update to the Senedd, telling the economy committee that a settlement of £5.25m had been agreed. Brown and Mason had previously said they were seeking £10m. It has yet to be clarified if the £5.25m includes legal costs. "I'm not able to say much more at this point because we are undergoing an independent review which we commissioned as political leaders to set in train precisely at the point that we knew we were going through a legal process," she said. Article continues below Cllr Brocklesby said: "We had to wait until that legal process was over before that independent review could start. "We are awaiting the findings which – subject to legal caveats – we will be making public." Kellie Beirne, chief executive of the south-east Wales corporate joint committee and Cardiff Capital Region, said: "We're taking this extremely seriously, we recognise the gravity of it and again yes, [it's] something that we don't come and report. "Apologies again for the short notice but we had clearance, we briefed our internal stakeholders and we felt it important to be as transparent as we possibly could by conveying that this morning at this committee." She said a full independent review has been ordered. "When that review concludes and we have findings, we'll be able to be much more open about what happened and take steps to ensure that this can't happen again," she said. Asked whether the court case has impinged on work at the 500-acre site, Cllr Brocklesby insisted: "No, it continues at pace." Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies said: "When you came before this committee in September 2023, Kellie you said that £40m is but a drop in the ocean. "I think the words you used were hundreds of millions of pounds will be required. Obviously, this court case has not helped instil confidence in the private sector in coming on board as partners... so, how are you progressing in that goal?" Cllr Brocklesby replied: "Let's look at the wider ecosystem of CCR: one of the absolute strengths of it is that we have people across the region who are highly valued within their own sectors... who are highly respected not just in Wales but globally." "In terms of the future of Aberthaw, it does actually look very bright and we're not feeling any effects from the impacts of this highly regrettable procurement issue." Article continues below Ms Beirne said Cardiff Capital Region does not have deep enough pockets for what Aberthawr requires following the initial demolition and remediation phase.
