A FOOD company from Teesside was last night accused of failing to pay its staff for two months, as many of its employees began legal action against the business.

The Baked Snacks Company is said to have not paid its staff during January or February, and yesterday several of the affected employees took part in a demonstration outside the plant to highlight their plight.

While some of the 90-strong workforce at the Middlesbrough factory – which makes a range of biscuits and baked snacks – continue to work there, several have now refused to go back, and have begun legal proceedings against the business.

Jimmy Skivington, regional organiser for the GMB union, told The Northern Echo that more than 20 tribunal cases have now been lodged by union members who are claiming for unlawful deduction, breach of contract and constructive dismissal.

Grievances have already been submitted internally with the company, which is based on Middlesbrough’s South Tees Imperial Food Park, which resulted in some workers refusing to return on the basis that there were allegedly no guarantees over when their wages would be paid.

Mr Skivington said: “There have been a lot of people suffering severe hardship because of this situation. Direct debits are not coming out of their accounts, bank charges are being incurred through there not being enough money there, people are being threatened with eviction from their homes because they cannot keep up payments. These are hard times anyway and for these people they are terrible.

“We have got more than 20 members at the plant, but of course this affects a lot more.

There are some people who continue to work there, as it’s the only employment they have, but there are a lot more who refuse as there are no guarantees over when they will be paid.

“We are very disappointed, as our members are, to have to be dealing with such a situation.

“There are more than 20 tribunal claims that have now been lodged, although we hope for some progress in the meanwhile.”

No one at the Baked Snacks Company was available for comment last night.