DEVASTATED staff made redundant by the failed supermarket chain Haldanes were given just one week’s wages in their last pay packet – despite being owed a full month’s wage, notice pay and, in some cases, severance pay.

STAFF made redundant by the failed supermarket chain Haldanes have said they were given just one week’s wages in their last pay packet – despite being owed a full month’s wage, notice pay and, in some cases, severance pay.

Eighteen members of staff at the Ramsey branch are believed to have been given just five days notice that their jobs were to go earlier this month.

Maggie Wilkes, 55, worked full time as a shop assistant in the store, which was previously a Somerfield supermarket.

She said: “We were told on Thursday and finished on Tuesday. We only received a week’s pay, when we should have received four weeks’ pay. We got nothing that we were entitled to.

“We are up in the air. I have had to sign on the dole and I am not happy. I am on my own and I’ve got rent to pay and bills to pay.

“Ramsey is only a small town and there’s not a great amount of work. For the likes of me and a few others who don’t have transport, getting a job outside of the town will involve a hell of a lot of travelling because the buses around here aren’t particularly good.”

One of Ms Wilkes’ colleagues, who did not wish to be named, said she was worried about the future.

Her partner is in the construction industry but work has dried up following the recent economic downturn. The couple, who have four children, are concerned for their family.

She said: “We are extremely worried. It’s horrible. I am 38 years old and have never been in this position in my life. It’s degrading. Even when the children were little, I worked in the evenings and at weekends. I really don’t know what I am going to do.

“If we had been given a bit more notice we could have planned for it. It’s going to be hard. A lot of us relied on the jobs in the town and a lot of older people relied on the shop. It’s very sad and how we have been treated is very wrong.”

Sheffield-based company P&A Partnership was appointed administrator of the company last week and has set up online support for ex-staff.

Brendan Guilfoyle, of P&A, said: “Our priority is to provide support for former employees. This new website will give them guidance and advice on entitlements, including how to make claims to the Redundancy Payments Office.”

INFORMATION: P&A’s website to help staff is www.insolvency4employees.co.uk