Staff revolt | Half of battery maker's workforce quits after reportedly going unpaid for four months

Staff at a British battery manufacturing company have not been paid for the last four months after the company was acquired by an Australian firm, according to new reports.

The BBC reports that Recharge Industries, which assumed control of Britishvolt after the latter went into administration in January 2023, stopped paying employees in July. After a series of redundancies, the surviving workforce numbered around 26, but now more than half of this group have also quit due as a result of not being paid, the BBC stated.

Allegations also persist regarding unmet pension obligations and an IT contractor's non-payment, which has locked employees out of critical computer systems.

The lack of wage payments is just one of the financial challenges that have riddled Britishvolt since Recharge Industries took charge, including the non-payment of around £2.5 million, which remains outstanding long after it was originally due, according to the broadcaster.