Former employees of Glasgow-based Land Engineering Scotland Ltd have begun legal action to secure a better redundancy package after losing their jobs with just a couple of hours notice.

Around 135 employees were given almost no notice they were losing their job when the company fell into administration earlier this month.

Ten employees were kept to assist the administrators, while 249 other employees transferred to idverde Limited which snapped up the services, responsive and winter divisions and the company’s interest in contracts at Grangemouth, Craighouse and Quartermile.

The redundant workers are working with the legal team at Thompsons Solicitors who defeated Sports Direct boss Mike Ashely in court after he sacked staff at an Ayrshire warehouse with just 15 minutes’ notice. The same team also secured a six figure pay out for workers at the Tullis Russell paper mill in Fife after they were let go by bosses at short notice without consultation.

Peter O’Donnell, a partner with Thompsons Solicitors, who championed the previous successful claims against Mike Ashley and Tullis Russell, said: “The way these decent men and women were treated by management has been shameful. To be given almost no notice of redundancy is not only cold hearted it is also against the law. My legal team are now beginning legal action to secure these workers a better redundancy payout and I would encourage all former Land Engineering Scotland employees to join us.”

Mr O’Donnell added: “But there’s a wider issue here. The directors of companies in instances like this can call in administrators and basically walk away from all their liabilities leaving the tax payer to pick up the tab. That’s not right. I’m calling on the UK government’s Insolvency Service to look at this case and others like it and mount a prosecution against the company directors.

“They have the power to do it and it’s only by bringing these people to book that we’ll stop administration events like this. They are often pre-planned by the directors of failing companies and they are devastating not only workers but the tax payer too. It’s got to stop and the UK government has the power to do it now.”