Name confusion over ESTL while workers left in misery
Sep 6 2010 by Kevin Core, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
THE mystery surrounding a training firm which is said to be failing to pay its employees has deepened.
Staff of Kirkburton-based training company Enterprise Solutions Training Ltd (ESTL) missed four months of pay after a wrangle with Kirklees College. It led to some staff being made redundant.
They have now been hit by a second blow as workers again failed to receive a salary, with the blame this time being put on South and West Kent College’s failure to sign off a cheque they had been relying on.
West Kent College, however, has told the Examiner it has no dealings with ESTL and nothing is due to them.
ESTL had a contract with Kirklees College to provide courses in subjects including retail, customer service and taxi driving.
Money was withdrawn after the college took legal advice following a dispute over the quality of the training which was being provided and 60 of the 100 staff were made redundant.
It appeared that the company had a lifeline in the form of a contract it said it had with West Kent College, claiming it was finally able to pay staff, albeit it at a reduced rate.
But workers have again missed their monthly salary amid ESTL claims that the failure of a West Kent College director to sign off an amount has prevented them from paying.
They claim the director had gone on holiday.
Workers are sceptical, with one questioning whether such an important duty in a large organisation would be left in the hands of one person.
A worker, who did not wish to be identified, told the Examiner: “ESTL is blaming other people all the time. We thought the situation had improved but we got a text message.
“People have been given extra holiday days but what’s the point if you haven’t got any money?”
Some workers faced serious financial problems including the loss of their homes because of the lack of payment.
The worker added: “People are still struggling and they are more distressed than they were before.
“News of the new contract with Kent made them believe things would get better but to be told this is just ridiculous.”
