'It's horrific': Moorcroft workers speak out after closure of historic factory
Workers who are campaigning to save Moorcroft and the wider Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry have spoken out.
Pottery workers who last month were told they were being made redundant after Moorcroft's collapse say soaring energy prices are to blame.
In March Moorcroft issued a warning of possible redundancies. Now more than half of the 57 workers met at GMB headquarters in Hanley to discuss next steps and receive support on their futures.
The pottery factory announced it was ceasing trading at the end of April resulting in the loss of 57 jobs, following 112 years of trading.
Workers have said that the 57 jobs represent a total of 1500 years of combined service and skills which could be lost.
Louise Edwards, who in total has worked for Moorcroft for 21 years said: "Well I guess it's a shock, knowing something was coming but not really understanding that it was actually going to happen at that point and people that have worked together since they were 15.
"It's just completely blown us out of the water, we don't know what we're doing, which way to turn.
"It's horrific, people have sat there, incredibly skilled painters, tube liners, casters, all these different skills that they've done and devoted themselves to for that length of time and now they're just sitting waiting, not knowing what they're going to do."
Many of the workers said how they felt let down by the lack of government action, especially considering only a month ago British Steel was given government support.
The high cost of energy and cheap imports from overseas have not helped the pottery industry.
Beverley Berry worked at Moorcroft as a painter and designer since leaving school and now after 36 years said she feels lost and the situation is like a bereavement. She blamed the rising cost of fuel for the collapse.
The 60-year-old said: "What's been the death of Moorcroft has been basically the fuel costs. I heard a rumour that the bills went from £60,000 a year to £340,000 a year and that's why we just couldn't sustain things.
"What really frustrates me is the government can help the steel industry, Keir Starmer went to Scunthorpe and we've been lobbying the government for help with the pottery industry, and in our view the costs for a good few years now and nothing's been done.
"It's like a bereavement because all my friends worked there, we were all very close and I just feel lost and I know in the end we'll all move on whether we go back to Moorcroft or not but I just feel really lost.
"I'm trying to look for work and I feel like I'm not qualified for anything, which is probably not true."
Now employees are being offered support with looking for new jobs, redundancy and skills training by the GMB Union. However many of the workers are hoping that a takeover bid will be accepted by the deadline on 4 June.
Michelle Day said: "My mind is all over the place at the minute, I can't think straight. Even now it's such a shock because Moorcroft, it's one on its own, there's nothing else like it.
"The skills that we've got can't be transferred to anywhere else.
"We're all hoping that somebody comes forward and buys Moorcroft and takes it forward into the future and invests money into it because there's nothing else like it, it's a very special place.
Chris Hoofe, GMB regional organiser said: "The GMB is calling on central government to act now to support the ceramics industry in Stoke and Staffordshire and across the UK. It's a sector which is incredibly important to the heritage and history of Stoke.
"Unless the Government supports this sector with the cost of energy, unfortunately we're going to see more Royal Staffords and more Moorcrofts.
"We'll see more people, highly skilled, highly motivated individuals put out of work and the continued demise of the area."
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