ABOUT 70 workers made jobless by the closure of Rosella factory in Seven Hills were told they will get their entitlement within weeks instead of months.
Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten told them in a meeting at Blacktown Workers Club on Thursday, he had fast tracked $1.6 million to ensure workers would be paid their outstanding entitlements by April.
‘‘You will know by at least this Easter that you’ll be able to buy your kids hot cross buns and Easter eggs,’’ he said.
The workers who received their last pay check last week were told the receivers had failed to find a buyer for the plant.
Some complained to Mr Shorten that Rosella hadn’t made any superannuation payments in the six months before going bankrupt in December.
One worker said she was owed more than $10,000 in superannuation, which wasn’t covered by the government’s Fair Entitlements Guarantee.
Many workers were not impressed by Mr Shorten’s political pitch that they would have been ignored if the Coalition had been in government.
Another worker who had been made redundant about five times over the years and that Prime Minister Julia Gillard should have come for the meeting.
Mr Shorten said there was no need for the Prime Minister to come, saying Federal Member for Greenway Michelle Rowland and State Member for Toongabbie Nathan Rees and he were there to help.
Ms Rowland and Mr Rees said they would help the workers to receive what was owed them.