Call for Woolworths compensation

Staff are collecting signatures calling for compensation

A former employee of Woolworths in Jersey has started a petition calling for the States to compensate staff who have lost their jobs.

Unlike their counterparts in the UK, they will not automatically receive compensation because there is no redundancy law in Jersey.

Eighty-nine Woolworths staff in the island were laid off after the chain went into administration.

Anne-Marie Le Bloas is collecting signatures in St Helier.

Ms Le Bloas said: "All the other stores in St Helier have been brilliant.

"They've come in and we've filled in the forms, but being it's over Christmas time we haven't heard anything yet. I haven't heard of anyone who's got a job."

St Helier deputy Geoff Southern has called for the States to debate allocating £139,000 in redundancy pay for former Woolworths staff.

The amount is equivalent to the payout which would be provided under the UK Statutory Redundancy Scheme.

Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur said previously that Woolworths employees were being given help to find other jobs and were being offered counselling.