Truck firm workers resume picket

The Cloughmills company was £3.2m in debt in 2005

Workers at Reid Transport have resumed a picket of the company's County Antrim premises in a row over owed wages.

About 30 workers are involved in blocking lorries trying to leave the site in Cloughmills.

They had earlier called off the picket after they were assured they would get money owed to them, but now say these wages cannot be guaranteed.

A total of 200 jobs are to be lost at the haulage firm which went into administration on Wednesday.

Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey has met trade unions involved in the situation.

'Anger'

Sinn Fein assembly member Daithi McKay said there was anger that the minister could not guarantee earlier assurances that 200 workers would receive redundancy payments.

Earlier on Friday it emerged, according to Reid Transport Ltd's latest accounts, it was £3.2m in debt in 2005.

Five weeks ago the company's managing director Liam Reid described rumours that it was in trouble as "malicious and unfounded".

Economy Minister Nigel Dodds said help would be given to the 200 workers who have been made redundant.

In August, Reid's announced on its website that it had just opened a new depot in Buckinghamshire to cope with increased volumes of freight.

Staff told the BBC on Thursday that in recent weeks, their workload had significantly increased with drivers working longer hours and delivering bigger loads.

The administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers, are currently examining the company's books and will report to the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment.