UPDATE: 4.30PM

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We are very disappointed with the situation that the employees now find themselves in. 

"The support provided to the company by the Welsh Government stipulated that the jobs should be in place for at least three years. 

"We will, with immediate effect, be seeking repayment of relevant grant sums.

"We have also mobilised the Welsh Contact Centre Forum, who can signpost affected staff to potential new job opportunities, and we will keep the situation under review.”

UPDATE: 3.35pm

Former employees of Griffin Place Communications have shown the Argus letters they have recieved claiming that the company has gone into liquidation.

The letter claims that a firm has been appointed 'to assist the directors with the formalities of winding-up'.

The letter advised there will be a meeting of creditors on August 13.

UPDATE: 1.50pm

Simon Evans, Head of Communications at We Fight Any Claim, commented:“We would like to offer whatever help we can to those affected by this shock news today.

“We are always looking for talented call centre staff, and if any of Griffin Place’s former employees want to get in touch with our recruitment team we will be more than happy to try and find suitable employment for them with us as we move forward as a company.

"We want to try and minimise any negative impact on the local economy and we are in a position to potentially recruit some of these former employees immediately. We will try to accommodate as many of them as we can over the coming days and weeks."

He added that it is "worrying" that the company was heralded by the Welsh Government at the UK Investment Summit at Celtic Manor in 2014, and received a large amount of public money.

He said: "Questions must be asked of the process of approving such funds to businesses."

Mr Evans said that We Fight Any Claim are expanding and have sought Welsh Government help to upsize their premises and this was denied – but in just over two years they have almost doubled in size from around 300 full time staff to just under 600.

He said: "We were told help wasn’t available, yet we see investment made to this company based just a few short yards away from our base in Cwmbran."

 

UPDATE: 1.25pm

STAFF at a call centre in Cwmbran claim around 120 employees have been made redundant.

Former employees of Griffin Place Communications, based at Llantarnam Industrial Park, have contacted the Argus to say they were told to keep working while their friends were in tears after losing their jobs.

Torfaen AM Lynne Neagle said she had received ‘worrying’ reports of job losses at the call centre and urged anyone that had been affected to get in touch.

She has arranged a pubic meeting for all former employees at 1pm on Monday at Mount Pleasant Hall, Pontnewydd.

Despite being contacted numerous times by the Argus, the company has not provided a comment.

Newport East AM John Griffiths said he was concerned at the way staff had been treated and that he would be meeting with bosses from the call centre to seek clarity from the situation.

The call centre opened earlier this year after receiving Welsh Government funding in a bid to create 1,100 new, high-quality jobs for Wales, including 300 jobs at Griffin Place Communications.

But since July 16, former employees have claimed that more than 120 staff have been made redundant, with the company citing performance targets and attendance records as the reasons.

Rebecca Whorton, who said she was made redundant this week, said staff were annoyed that they had received a letter to say they were let go because they were “underperforming”.

But she said this wasn't the case as the "whole department has lost their jobs".

She said on July 16 staff at work were tapped on the shoulder and taken into a meeting room where they were told they were losing their jobs that day.

“It was just a horrible atmosphere,” she said.

She said since the first group left, more redundancies followed over the next two weeks.

Judith Davies, 53, from Pontypool, said they were told their jobs were ‘secure’ just weeks before they were made redundant.

“It’s awful the way we have been treated,” she said.

“These were permanent jobs and they are sacking people all the time.

“There are a lot of us very concerned whether we are going to get paid this week.”

Aimee Phelps, 23, from Newport, said: “We were all crying and were told to stay on the phones while people were getting sacked around us.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We have not had a formal approach from the company to discuss any issues. However, we are ready to provide any support or help that we can and will seek formal discussions with the company at the earliest opportunity.”