"I've Had To Sell My Car Just To Survive" - SSI Subcontractor
An SSI subcontractor who was made redundant via email and is still waiting for over five weeks pay says more needs to be done for workers like him.
An SSI subcontractor who was made redundant via email and is still waiting for over five weeks pay says more needs to be done for workers like him.
David Bushby worked as a crane operator at the Redcar site for Middlesbrough engineering firm SBV.
He was informed by the company last week they were unable to pay his wages because the firm hadn't yet been paid by SSI.
By last Friday he was told via email that he didn't need to go into work on Monday because he was being made redundant.
He hasn't been paid for the past five weeks work or any of the money during his redundancy period.
It's believed around 100 workers from SBV are affected by the closure of SSI, all without pay for the last month.
Only on Monday, the crane operator sold his car in a bid to keep his head above water for the coming months.
David said: "Who should get told by email that you've been made redundant and that you haven't been paid.
"All the focus has been on SSI getting paid last Friday, all the SSI workers fearing that they're not going to be able to go on because they haven't got any money.
"But there's 100 contractors that I know of working for SBV who are already in that situation.
"We've had to make loads of cuts, we've cancelled the pet insurance and only yesterday I sold my car to get by for the next month."
TFM contacted David's former employer SBV and they are urging the government to step in and secure wages for subcontractors at SSI.
The company have attended a number of meetings with the steel company but SBV say all payment promises have been broken.
A spokesperson said: "SSI has not paid its account for services supplied by SBV in June, or any month thereafter.
"Any payroll made by SBV during this time has bee made by SBV from its own resources, not by monies paid by SSI.
"It is with the greatest regret, and in spite of our best efforts to put pressure on SSI management by all means, that SBV is yet to receive any funds from SSI.
"Therefore in September we have been unable to pay any of our employees working on the supply of labour works at SSI."
SBV said they are committed to find a solution for their workers and have written to MPs Tom Blenkinsop and Anna Turley urging for more government intervention.