The staff of collapsed Melbourne digital printer The Printcentre are yet to hear anything from their former employers Darren Soppi and John Doyle, according to a burnt former employee who lost his job after Monday’s shock closure.
The Printcentre was closed by liquidators on Monday without notice. The former employee says he is one of around 20 staff who showed up to work Monday morning to find prepress computers gone, with no sign of Soppi or Doyle.
“Darren and John basically left everything as it was apart from their personal effects which were gone,” the source told Australian Printer.
“The staff were hanging around furious because they did not know if they were going to receive their final pay and staff entitlements or not and there was no warning from the directors.”
Australian Printer understands receivers from Grant Thornton were called in last minute by the directors at 1pm on Monday, who told staff the situation ‘was very unorthodox’.
Staff have not heard from Soppi or Doyle since last week and suppliers to the company have also been left in the dark. The former employee told Australian Printer, “Not one person has heard anything, I have had other staff and suppliers call me and ask what is going on.”
Former staff have been advised by receivers they will receive their final pay and entitlements through the Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG), a scheme set up by the federal government to assist employees who have lost their job because their employer entered liquidation or bankruptcy.
The former employee says staff are struggling to find work. “A lot of them had job offers recently but knocked them back because they were assured their position was safe, but currently they are finding it hard to find new positions,” adds the source.
Australian Printer’s calls to Soppi and Doyle have not been returned.
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I’m very sorry to hear these kinds of stories.
My sympathy goes out to the staff of print center who must be faced with troubling situation. Please feel free to send your resumes in confidence to jobs@vivad.com.au and if there are any suitable positions or we know of any one looking for individuals with your particular skill sets then we will do our best to refer you.
Kind regards
Ewen Donaldson
Managing Director
http://www.vivad.com.au
I am one of the workers at the print centre Melbourne.John Doyle and Darren Soppi along with their wives Julie and Karen planned this along time ago they knew what was planned right up to the Friday during that last week Doyle had us print cut and pack these cat houses that his wife was selling on ebay and they didn’t even pay us for that week. The Doyle family and Soppi family are the lowest form of life.Working there was a joke and discusting behavior example finding condoms in the womens toilet Darren laughed and the filth that was spoken sickens me never said anything because I knew I would lose my job, still waiting for money owing while Doyle and Soppi live the life with all their racing cars scum !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!