Walsall factory workers go without pay for five weeks

Vaughn Graham said the situation was heartbreaking for staff

Staff at a recently-sold factory said they have gone without pay for five weeks.

Workers at Vecta CNC in Walsall said they last received money on 5 January.

They said they were still coming in to avoid breaking contracts and losing redundancy money or back pay.

The new owner told them he purchased the company on the basis that all staff would be made redundant before they took over the company. The former owner denies this.

The 12 staff at Vecta CNC, an engineering firm which makes parts for the gas and oil industry, said they are in limbo.

Vaughn Graham, 62, a programmer from Tipton, said the outgoing director told them the company had been sold on 15 December.

Staff later received a letter from the new director saying he had not agreed to "continuous employment" of any staff.

"From that day, we've not been paid," he said, adding the situation is "heartbreaking".

Malcolm Fry said staff have been told by ACAS to continue coming in to work

Malcolm Fry, 60, of Pelsall said: "Nobody has told us we haven't got a job, nobody said we have been made redundant.

"ACAS has told us we should honour our contracts by keep turning up every day which, believe me, gets monotonous after a while when you're doing nothing."

Anthony Bishop told Midlands Today he had lost his flat, as well as suffering a bereavement.

The new owner Charles O'Sullivan, has not responded to the BBC's inquiries.

In an email sent to staff, and seen by the BBC, Mr O'Sullivan said: "The previous directors were to make all staff redundant prior to us taking over the company.

"We did not agree to continuous employment of any staff members."

Vecta CNC staff said they have not been paid since 5 January.

But Valery Beroskin, who owned the company previously said: "The company was sold to a restructuring agent on an as-is basis.

"There has been no requirement to make staff redundant and it is not part of the agreement."

Mr Fry said it was "demoralising".

"Skilled engineers and we're being treated like this...disgusting."