By Lars Niven

THE ADMINISTRATORS called in to try to save troubled electronics company Cemtron have dismissed suggestions they showed any bias in selecting who should be made redundant.

Tenon Recovery announced three weeks ago that 41 people were being laid off as it attempted to salvage the Fife company and sell it on as a going concern.

Offers for Cemtron were received last Friday and Tenon are still working through the fine details of those bids in an attempt to tie up a deal.

However, Tenon’s decision to impose redundancies has not gone down well with those affected.

Former staff have been in touch with Helen Eadie, the MSP for Dunfermline East, to voice their disatisfaction with the way the process was carried out.

As a result, Mrs Eadie asked the workers to meetings at which a firm of lawyers was appointed to represent those who turned up.

Mrs Eadie said at the time, “On the basis of the legal advice we received, I am further persuaded that the dismissed workers should seek a protected award under the Trade Union Labour Relations Act.”

She described Tenon’s treatment of the workers as “deplorable.”

It is understood the employees’ resentment centres on the employment of former workers from Solectron, which closed its Dunfermline factory in 2006 with the loss of 440 jobs.

One disgruntled worker who contacted The Courier said, “I was one of the 41 Cemtron employees made redundant.

“We were taken into a room and told our services were no longer required. We were out the door as quick as that.

“We were all long-serving members of staff and it came as a complete shock to us.”

She said there was a feeling Cemtron slowly started to “fill up” with former Solectron employees and that they appeared to have been kept on.

The woman added, “We have to claim our wages, holiday pay, redundancy and any other monies owed.

“I did not think it could get any worse, but then we found out our pension money was not getting paid although it was taken out of our wages since June.

“It was not paid to Prudential.”

Cemtron called in the administrator last month, blaming mounting trading losses and funding difficulties.

Some 112 people remain at the factory in Dalgety Bay.

Tenon said from the outset its aim was to sell the business on and a spokesman insisted there had been nothing untoward about the way people were selected for redundancy.

“Following an extensive review of the business it was important to retain those staff with the skills suited to taking the business forward and which would also help attract interest from prospective buyers,” he told The Courier.

As for the issue surrounding people’s pensions, he added, “The administrators confirmed that all outstanding employer’s and employee contributions would be paid to the pension provider as a preferential claim in the administration.

“The payment will be made as soon as possible.”

When asked if there was any truth in the suggestion preferential treatment had been given to former Solectron employees, the spokesman insisted, “Absolutely none whatsoever.”

It is thought a deal for Cemtron could be tied up in the next week.