Drivers talk about 'toxic' work culture at closed haulier

We reported last month that S&J European Haulage had announced they had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.

And last week, staff were told that there was no more work for them at the family-run business, which has been running 44 years.

It is a sad demise for a firm which was started in 1980 by husband-and-wife team, Steve and Jane Haines, and grew from just one van to more than 50 vehicles.

Based at Melton Commercial Park at Asfordby Hill, it employed 80 people in warehousing and storage services and pallet distribution, as well as haulage work.

One of the firm’s lorry drivers, who had been with the company nearly 20 years, said employees had long been unhappy about ‘toxic mismanagement’ and low pay.

The driver, who declined to be named, told the Melton Times: “The worst thing was we were all just waiting for it to die.

"We could all see problems with the way it was being run.”

The former employee said the firm were not making payments into his pension over the last months of his employment.

He said he failed to get answers from management but expects to get the money back from the government.

The driver said staff were also unhappy about being paid just over the National Living Wage, which is now £11.44 an hour.

Another truck driver, who also declined to be named, was also unhappy about the way the company was run.

He also said payments into his pension had not been made by the firm, since October last year.

"I've worked for S&J for two years as a driver but have worked for them previously when it was a much better environment where we worked together as a team and management was better,” the former driver told us.

He said he hadn’t found a new job yet and that there would be a lot drivers competing for any local vacancies with Holwell Works set to close down this year as well.

“The company (S&J) only paid £11.60 an hour which is just above minimum wage,” the former employee added.

"I could earn more stacking supermarket shelves and not have the risks of driving a truck as drivers can be fined for the slightest thing wrong with the truck. It makes me think if I really want to carry on driving. We all now have been told to sign on and most people have no jobs lined up.”

S&J generated a slightly increased turnover last year of £12.6million with before tax profits dropping to just under £182,000.

In the company’s most recent set of accounts, for the year ending November 30, 2022, the directors flagged up the challenges of operating post-Brexit, in the wake of the Covid pandemic and ‘geopolitical events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine’.

Alvarez & Marsal have been appointed as administrators for S&J European Haulage.

The Melton Times has sought comment from the firm but has yet to get a response.