Pay shock for former Sessions of York workers (From York Press)

Pay shock for former Sessions of York workers

9:35am Friday 23rd April 2010 in News By Julie Hayes, Business editor

MOST ex-employees of Sessions of York are not expecting to be paid for their work this month after the business appointed administrators.

Employees met at the factory on Huntington Road yesterday to try to find out more information from administrators P&A Partnership.

Martin Dawson, a warehouse worker who had been with the company for 16 years, said only employees who were paid on a four-weekly basis would be paid, because they were paid on Wednesday.

Other employees paid in different ways, such as monthly, would not be paid. He said: “Everybody is in a state of shock.” He said the administrators told employees to return on Thursday to fill in forms for statutory redundancy pay.

Mr Dawson said: “I’ve fallen on my feet because I’ve got another job. But my wife was employed here as well and she will have to look for further employment.

“It’s always been a family-orientated company, so there are a lot of scenarios where both partners have lost their jobs.”

Ray Stevenson, a 64-year-old engineer, was expecting to retire in October after 24 years with the business. He said he was concerned what would happen to his pension.

“Things have not been very good for quite a number of years, but then it seemed the place was overrun with work over the last few months,” he said.

“It seemed to pick up a little.”

A 43-year old single mother, who did not want to be named, said: “I’m a single parent on the breadline, so it’s a lot to take in. You fill your forms in, and there’s nothing you can do other than put your life in someone else’s hands.”

A union official met employees at Sessions yesterday to offer support.

Steve Hart, of the Unite GPMU union, said it was offering its 46 members at the firm training and help to find further employment.

A spokesperson for the administrators, P&A Partnership, declined to comment on the employees’ claims