By James Williamson

DISMISSED WORKERS at a Dundee packaging company staged a sit-in at their factory last night to demanded the redundancy pay due to them.

A dozen staff members were made redundant when Prisme Packaging Ltd, of the Angus Works on Tannadice Street, closed its doors yesterday afternoon.

While redundancy letters from the company detailed the payout workers are entitled to, they also made clear that the firm would not be making any payments to their former employees.

The company has also declined to hand over wages outstanding since March 1, holiday pay or pay in lieu of notice.

“We regret that we cannot make this payment to you and we can’t foresee that there will be circumstances in which we could make this payment to you in the future,” the notices read.

But the staff refused to sign a copy of the letter to acknowledge its receipt or leave the premises last night and they have vowed to take their fight to an industrial tribunal if necessary.

“We’ve got to get as much support as we can,” said Linda Carlyle (52), of Rockwell Place, who has worked at the firm for 14 years.

“We’ve had to push for someone to come up today and, when he got here, he said he was shutting the doors and just wanted us to walk out.

“We just want to make sure everything is done properly and we get what we are entitled to.”

It is understood that the firm recently lost a major contract to supply packaging to the Edrington Group, a whisky company which produces the Macallan, Highland Park and Famous Grouse brands.

One employee estimated that the deal accounted for around 60% of Prisme’s business.

David Taylor (33), of Abernethy Road, has seen seven years’ service with the company.

He said, “There are still orders coming in. The directors could have held off and kept the company going.

“What’s to say that the right management with the right drive couldn’t get more customers?”

The workers vowed they would not leave the premises until they received assurances over monies due to them.

Director Ken Andrew was on site to close the firm down yesterday and signed the redundancy notices.

“The company are ceasing trading and the staff are being made redundant,” he told The Courier. “We’re doing all we can to provide them with what is required.”

He stressed that he had only been appointed as a director within the last month and added that the company was not in receivership.

It is understood that managing director Craig McIntosh parted company with the firm on Monday but he did not return The Courier’s calls last night.

Labour councillor Tom Ferguson was on hand to give advice after a family member of one of the employees contacted him.

“I gave them all the legal advice I could,” he said.

“If this is symptomatic of the effects of the credit crunch then we will have to be aware of similar incidents in the future.”

Meanwhile a spokesman for Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said, “We are deeply concerned at the situation which the 12 employees at Prisme Packaging are facing.

“Shona urges the workforce at the premises to seek urgent legal advice on the termination letters which have been issued to them this evening.

“We will be seeking an early meeting with the company’s managing director to determine precisely the status of the employees, many of whom have given up to 14 years of loyal service to the company.”