Axed Egg workers in tears

Workers were today reeling from the news that hundreds of jobs will be axed from the internet banking giant Egg's Black Country site.

The mood was sombre as staff, many in tears, arrived for their shifts at the office on the Waterfront, Brierley Hill. Many stopped to speak to their colleagues about the shock blow delivered by bosses yesterday afternoon.

One pregnant worker, who asked not want to be named, said staff had been at their desks when they were told to get off the telephone and gather for a meeting.

She said: "I knew it was something serious but I didn't expect to be told that hundreds of jobs were going.

"I was due to go on maternity leave early next year so I don't know how this will affect me now. It's obviously very worrying as I have a baby on the way and now it looks as though I will be joining the dole queue."

Another worker, who has been a trainer at the company for the past two years, said: "When we were called in for the meeting I joked that we might be told we were getting the sack.

"It was such a huge shock when they said we were losing our jobs.

"The timing is lousy just before Christmas."

Cleaner Barbara Faulkner, from Caroline Street, Dudley, has worked at Egg for eight years.

She said: "This has come as a real shock. I never expected there would be job losses. It's a real shame."

The company has said it will offer relocation packages to Derby for eligible staff and counselling is also available.

An angry worker said: "There's no way I'm relocating to Derby. Why should I have to uproot my family? As to counselling they know what they can do with that."

When the Express & Star stopped workers to ask for their reaction some said they had been advised not to speak to the Press.

A spokesman for the company denied workers had been gagged.