Sheffield Wednesday staff nervous on pay date as union slam ‘disgusting’ Dejphon Chansiri behaviour
Sheffield Wednesday staff nervous on pay date as union slam ‘disgusting’ Dejphon Chansiri behaviour
A union chief has branded Dejphon Chansiri’s conduct towards employees at Sheffield Wednesday as ‘disgusting’ as the wait goes on for clarity on when they can expect the remainder of their wages for last month.
At the time of writing, The Star understands no official word has been handed down from Chansiri with regard to when the Wednesday workforce can expect to receive what’s owed to them for the month’s work. Players remain unpaid for September and others were paid just £1,000 of their expected salaries. An emergency fund is available to employees who request it.
Previous months have seen employees paid late but had Premier League solidarity payments due along with windfalls for player sales. Sources have indicated that there is a nervousness within the club’s workforce around the timescale on payments this time around.
The Star revealed earlier this week that non-footballing employees at Wednesday had engaged with Unite The Union to ascertain their rights going forward, with a letter of collective grievance set to be sent to formalise their concerns. Unite have confirmed that staff at the club have had to take out loans and borrow from family members to ease shortfalls. It has been warned that legal action is one future possible course of action available to employees.
In a statement released on Thursday, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will do everything in its power, industrially and legally, to ensure these workers get their wages. Dejphon Chansiri has millions at his disposal, these workers do not – his behaviour is disgusting. He needs to pay his staff and sell this well-loved club and community asset to a buyer who can run it properly as a matter of urgency.”
Wednesday employees have been thanked for their commitment and dedication in apologetic correspondence from colleagues within the club throughout the ongoing crisis. But the engagement in union action signals a feeling of ‘enough is enough’ by those who have taken up a membership.
Unite regional officer Daniel Gawthorpe said: “These workers have had enough. They totally dedicated to the club but their loyalty is being taken advantage of. People are facing real financial hardship, but Chansiri seems to expect them to live on fresh air because of their love for Wednesday. Unite will not let this stand.”
