Under Hand Large companies

[Driver one]

Hi All

 

Just wondering if anyone can help?

 

I run a small business that employs 6 people.

 

We sub-contract to national carrier delivering office Supplies (clues in the name), they have just appointed a depot manager who is hell bent at reducing costs no matter what it takes. He recently asked me to take a cut in rates as they were not making any money. This is despite the fact that we are doing the work for approx £100 per week per route less than they can do it themselves. as you can imagine we are down to the wick on the rates we are paid already so I informed them that we couldn't do it.

 

This was approximately 2 weeks ago and today he has rang me at home (im off as i was in hospital for surgery on Monday) and informed me that he would not require our services as from the 3rd March.The problem i have is that we have a service contract which states that they have to give us 90 days notice in writing, which he clearly hasn't done. He can only terminate with immediate effect if we commit a severe breach of the contract (which we have not) and again this must be in writing. Again if there is a drop in service they must inform us in writing and give us 10 days to improve. We have serviced this contract for 2 years and feel that they must honor the terms of the contract.

 

Im also worried about my staff! Surely they must offer them positions under Tupe law as we have not become insolvent or breached the contract.

 

If anyone could give any pointers Im worried, not just for myself,that my staff who all have families to support are going to be thrown into the gutter through no fault of their own.