Financial blow for race track staff

The liquidation of The Racing School Ltd has caused shock waves across the community, and the news that most staff will not receive their wages is just another blow.

A former Three Sisters employee told the Post that some members of staff are able to receive a severance package, but that the liquidation company has not been given the contact details of those on zero-hour contracts, meaning that many will not be able to access their pay.

In a letter sent out by the company, which operated karting and track day events at the Ashton landmark, the director, Josiah Foulston, explained the company’s stance.

The note said: “Regretfully, the company is unable to make payment to you for any money to which you may be entitled for serviced rendered by you under your contract of employment with the company. You should therefore regard your contract of employment as terminated on the grounds of redundancy with immediate effect.

“Your P45 will be forwarded to you shortly. Under the insolvency provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996, any claims you may have for accrued pay, holiday pay or pay in lieu of notice will, subject to certain limitations, be paid to your by the Redudancy Payments Service out of the National Insurance Fund.”

In order to receive any “redundancy” payment from the company, staff must have two years or more of continuous service at The Racing School Ltd and be 20 years of age or over, meaning that any recent or teenage staff will not see a penny. Former employees may also risk not receiving their P45 or any other legal documentation they need due to the company’s failure to communicate contact details to the liquidators.

A member of the “Save the Three Sisters Race Circuit” Facebook campaign group told the Post that their priority is to help any affected staff fight to get their money back.

“We want to make sure all of the staff are involved in what’s going on,” said the campaigner.

“We want the circuit to reopen as soon as possible and for the right people to be running it for the right reasons. It’s the managers that haven’t let people know, this is nothing to do with the track, just the management.”