Nearly 700 workers at a Cape Breton call centre who haven鈥檛 received their paycheques learned on Thursday that they鈥檙e out of work.
Employees at ServiCom in Sydney, N.S., were called to a meeting Thursday and told they would be losing their jobs less than three weeks before Christmas.
Worker Lori Riles told CTV Atlantic it was smart that police were called to the building before the announcement was made.
鈥淚t probably would鈥檝e broke out into a riot in there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was pretty bad.鈥�
The call centre鈥檚 U.S. parent went bankrupt in November but the Canadian employees were told their workplace was profitable and would remain open.
Danny Currie said he and his fellow employees were 鈥渓ed on.鈥�
鈥淭hey were promising bonuses up until the very last minute,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 understand how they could offer bonuses when they couldn鈥檛 give us our basic paycheque.鈥�
Manager Todd Riley said the news was tough to swallow, and he accused the call centre鈥檚 owners of cowardice.
鈥淭hey lied to me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had to work with 700 people to go in day in and day out and keep people on the phones and encourage them that things were going to get better.鈥�
Riley said he鈥檚 heard that there is an investor in the U.S. who has expressed interest in purchasing the business, but that no deal has been made so far.
Kayla Williams was left in tears after learning she lost her job. 鈥淚 have a two year old at home. I have a mortgage. I have bills,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 disgusted. There鈥檚 no words.鈥�
