Following the shock announcement that Fastway couriers had gone into receivership, Laois employees at the Portarlington parcel hub have been left reeling.

Speaking with the Leinster Express / Laois Live, one worker said he was operating a forklift when he was escorted to the warehouse gates.

"I went in on Tuesday at 7am, and was supposed to finish work at 6:30pm," said Portarlington man Paddy Waldron, an employee at the Fastway hub.

Pictured: Fastway hub in Portarlington

"We came back from lunch and noticed all these lads in high visibility vests at the gate. We just assumed they were workers because they were in the vests," he said.

"Around 4:15 they began pacing towards us, I thought I was about to be asked to move. I had a full freight cage on the forklift, and I was told to get off," Mr Waldron alleges.

"We were all dragged off the forklifts and escorted to the canteen, they were almost linking our arms bringing us over. We were told to collect our belongings from our lockers, and we wouldn't be allowed back into the warehouse. There were lads who had jackets and lunch boxes left outside, they weren't allowed to go back for them," he claimed.

"I was so confused. I had assumed we were being brought in about a pay rise, we are at our peak season. There were over 50,000 parcels in the depor that morning. I know six or seven drivers with full trailers of parcels, they tried to bring them back to the depot and the gates are locked, they don't know what to do with them," Mr Waldron alleged.

"They could be Christmas presents for people."

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Mr Waldron has worked with the company for six years, and has a young family to take care of.

"I have a nine month old daughter and never mind Halloween, we are coming close to Christmas, I'm one of the lucky ones compared to some of the situations of the people I work with. It's a hard time," Mr Waldron said.

Mr Waldron alleged that workers were told they cannot sign on to social welfare, or they will be at risk of losing their redundancy packages. The employee says that they will not receive their owed wages until March or April of 2026.

"We can't get a new job because we are still employees at Fastway- we would be taxed for two jobs. If we sign on before the consultation period is over in 30 days time, we will lose our redundancy. We don't know what to do," Mr Waldron said.

The Portarlington man has said that his HR department has 'vanished', with workers unable to speak with their bosses.

"We had a meeting on Wednesday with a liquidation group who took some of our questions. As we are still employees, we are in a tight spot- we could be asked to go back to work on Monday, and work though we won't be getting our wages. If they call us to come to work on Monday, and we don't show up, they can sack us, and we won't get our redundancy," he claimed.

"I wouldn't have minded as much if we were all sat down a week before and told the news, not dragged off the forklifts," Mr Waldron argued.

"Our bosses hopped in their cars and left. We normally have to walk through metal detectors when we are going in and out, we were just walked to the nearest exit instead. That was all out the window," he said.

"We were walked to the gate hand in hand, I watched them pushing elderly women out the main door, women in their 50's and 60's working here. That's what was happening in the hub on Tuesday, no one is answering any questions about wages," Mr Waldron alleged.

"We are told not to return, unless we are told to come back. To be brought in and get nothing for it," Mr Waldron finished.

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