Staff speak out as Woolworths falls to its knees

Staff told to expect the worst as Woolworths has gones into administration

A Woolworths employee has spoken exclusively to Rochdale Online about the mood at the call centre – since the announcement of its possible collapse.

The shocking news was revealed yesterday (Wednesday November 26) that the high street giant, whose head call centre is on Royle Barn Road, Castleton has gone into administration.

Security staff are currently manning the warehouse doors following a series of thefts of toys and sweets.

Staff have been unofficially told to “expect the worst”, and the call centre systems are currently down, as is the Woolworths home delivery website.

One worker, who did not want to be named said: “It has been absolute chaos, we don’t know what’s going to happen from one moment to the next.

“Everyone is sat around doing nothing, but word is being passed around to expect the worst."

The 99-year old Woolworths Group PLC is locked in discussions regarding the potential sale of its 800-store company to restructuring specialist Hilco UK for just £1.

The firm is also in talks to sell its 40% stake in 2 Entertain, the publisher, to BBC Worldwide, which owns the other 60%.

Woolworths banks must back the sales before they go through and a top government official ordered the banks to go back to the negotiating table in order to save the struggling retailer earlier today.

Shares in the company have fallen by more than 90% within the year and it recorded a first-half pre-tax loss of £90.8million.

More to follow…