"ON the 10 May 2013, 38 workers at R C Brewery (Cain's {Robert Cains} Brewery) Liverpool were informed by phone that they had lost their jobs for reasons of 'redundancy', with immediate effect. The company informed its workforce one day later, in a letter, which also stated that pay claims for days work owed (back pay), and redundancy, they would need to make claim to the government's redundancy service. The following day, as reported in the local press, the owners of the company proudly announced that they had "stopped" their canning operations to concentrate on the development of the Brewery Village project. In reality R C Brewery continues to trade today through its chain of pubs, under the direction of the same family (a subsidiary company), the beer being produced temporarily by another brewer. The brewery was eventually made insolvent on the 24th June following a decision in the high court in favour of HMRC. Once again, the following day, the owners proudly appeared on television (BBC News North West) stating that the courts and HMC's decision would not affect the Brewery Village Project. Back in 2008, the same owners put the then, "Cain's Beer Company plc" into administration, buying it back from the administrators as "RC Brewery" and leaving a trail of unpaid debts reported to be in the region of £38.5 million (including £11 million owed to the taxman, and £28 million owed to the Royal Bank of Scotland). RC Brewery has now gone into liquidation leaving unpaid employees, unfulfilled contracts, unpaid creditors, and unpaid taxes. Once again the family who own the land, the brewery, the pubs and its associated brands and estate, have legally avoided paying their debts and continue to reap the benefits accordingly. Now, 38 people have been cast aside without a second thought. Some of these loyal employees will not receive a penny in compensation due to their time served, others have lost out on thousands of pounds that they are due, nobody received any consultation, their contracts have been ripped up and are apparently meaningless in law, and whilst this loyal and hard working workforce, (some with over thirty years service) have been abandoned by the law and their homes and livelihoods threatened, the owners are free to rake in millions from the development of the land in the guise of "Brewery Village" a Liverpool Council backed redevelopment scheme. We believe that it is a travesty of justice. The law permits companies owned by the same board members to set up subsidiary companies who they can then trade with to avoid tax, and who can then close one section of the company leaving employees, suppliers and customers with unpaid debts whilst those same board members fill their pockets with cash from the development of the same assets. Please support our campaign. We ask that you support the following proposals which we would like to see debated in the House of Commons:-

1) Stop Brewery Village - Liverpool Council should be forced to refuse permission for the owners of RC Brewery, and their associated companies and family owned businesses, to develop the land occupied by RC Brewery until all creditors have been paid in full.

2) We ask for a full government debate whether the current insolvency and Limited Companies acts are sufficient to protect workers and creditors in situations of insolvency.

3) The government should have the right to seize the assets of the associated companies of RC Brewery in order to sell these assets and raise funds for the payment of the taxes that the company have avoided paying, and to raise funds for the creditors of the company.

Please support us at:- epetitions.direct.gov.uk." - Letter sent by Neville Clifford.