Two hundred former employees at one of Lancashire's biggest manufacturers have rejected financial offers after a 15-year battle for unfair dismissal cash.
The ex-Leyland DAF workers, who were sacked when the truck and van maker went bust in 1993, have flooded the liquidators of the former firm with complaints after some received offers of just a few hundred pounds.
Trade union Unite last week secured £8.4m of money for 1,400 unfair dismissal claims, including an estimated 630 from Lancashire workers, promising payments of between £5,000 and £6,000.
Today, the law firm which fought the battle with the union said people should receive an initial part-payment of around £2,000 each with more to come.
Lyn Brussels, of Croston, near Chorley, said she sent back a letter, offering her just £455.68 for working 15 years at the firm, to the liquidators with "not acceptable" written on it.
She said: "It was February 12, 1993, we were all called into an office and given 20 minutes to clear our desks and were then thrown out without so much as a 'thank you' or a promise we would be looked after.
"We got our pay from the Government at the time, but ever since we have all been waiting for the outcome of this union court case."
She said fellow ex-workers had told her they had received offers of anything up to £10,000 from the liquidators, but because her letter did not include the words 'unfair dismissal' she had a much lower offer.
A spokesman for Rowley Ashworth Solicitors, which fought the case with the union, said the liquidators had agreed to pay former workers around £2,000 with the remaining £4,000 due to be received at a later date.
All union members and former union members who worked for Leyland DAF can contact Rowley Ashworth on 0121 212 6800.
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