'I am worried about how I'm going to eat': Staff at administration-hit factory fear for the future

Staff at a large South Wales Valleys-based company hit by administration are worried about their future after losing their jobs.

Workers were told in a conference call on Monday by bosses at UK Windows and Doors which has sites in Treorchy, Llwynypia, Williamstown and Taffs Well.

The firm's chief executive has said a decline in sales meant the business had become "financially unsustainable".

The announcement followed days of speculation after staff were sent home at the start of their shifts, but there was still shock and disbelief locally when the announcement was finally made on Monday afternoon (October 2).

Carl Wilkinson, 48, who lives in Treherbert, has been working in the factory for five years, he was "disappointed" to have found out about the jobs losses online, not from the company and said he felt "gutted and let down".

He said: "People have got mortgages, people have still got bills, people have still got rent to pay. I’m worried about paying my rent, gas, electric, how I’m going to eat."

He's also worried about finding a new job, saying: "There’s nothing round here. It was just UK Windows and Doors. I would say pretty much everybody in this valley at some point either worked there or knows somebody who did."

James Hooper, 45, from Gelli is one of the employees who was laid off. He was a production operative on the shop floor of the Treorchy site, where he worked for 27 years.

He said "alarm bells starting ringing," when employees were sent home, just after they arrived on their shifts all throughout last week, with the company saying “the material wasn’t there.

“We were turning up every day in the morning, and I was back in the house by 6.20am, it was happening to everyone.” Mr Hooper says in the days in the run up to the announcement, employees learnt of rumours the company was going into administration on social media.

He added: "We were finding out through Facebook, everything, what was about to happen - there was no communication, only the email that was sent at, I think, 10.30am."

Peter Murphy, 65, who worked at the factory for 19 years, and left four years ago, said: "I know a lot of the boys have been there for 30 years, some of them have been there since they left school. It’s all they’ve ever done. There’s no where else to turn for them, is there? Nothing in the Valleys - and if you can’t drive you’ve had it."

Peter added: "It’s a sad day. I’m gutted for the boys - I’ve got a lot of friends who work over there."

UK Windows and Doors have released a statement saying how management "worked hard to save the business over recent months". CEO Matthew Scoffield said: "Unfortunately the headwinds facing the sector have proved to be too strong.

"Since the business was acquired five years ago, the team has worked tirelessly to turn the business around and up until recently it continued to trade profitably.

"Despite the cost cutting measures implemented and the injection of significant further capital from our lenders in recent months, the decline in sales felt across the industry as well as the strain placed on the finances of the project to move to a third-party profile system has meant the business became financially unsustainable". He added: “We appreciate that this is a very difficult and uncertain time for all involved and whilst all arrears of wages have been paid, we are also working jointly with our funders to provide additional financial support to supplement future redundancy payments.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank our employees for all their efforts and ongoing support.“

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