Former Wilko workers to share £2m payout

A £2m payout has been awarded to almost 10,000 former employees of failed high street retailer Wilko.

The GMB union said it had won a legal case on behalf of former workers at the chain, which fell into administration and shut in 2023.

The union said a judgement handed down by the Employment Tribunal had ruled Wilko failed to consult staff before this.

About 9,000 former staff who worked in a store with 20 or more people will get four days' pay, while roughly 1,100 employees who worked in a distribution centre or support centre role will get 13 days' pay, according to the union.

Former Wilko worker and union representative David Bartlett said the award was "the very least Wilko workers deserve".

He added: "It has been a long, hard slog getting this money.

"In no way will this make up for the stress and anxiety they faced during those dark days in 2023 but GMB hopes it will give them a much-needed boost as they move on with their new lives and careers."

The business was founded in 1930 when JK Wilkinson opened his first store in Leicester.

It expanded across the Midlands initially and by the 1990s became one of Britain's fastest-growing retailers, rebranding as Wilko in 2012.

But in early August 2023 the firm, headquartered in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, collapsed into administration and put 12,500 jobs at risk, before closing down its 400 stores the following month.

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