THE government must ensure that wages owed to former Thomas Cook workers are paid “in full and without delay,” union leaders insisted today.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes, whose union represents office workers in the travel industry, spoke out in defence of thousands of people who lost their jobs when Thomas Cook went bust last week.

He told Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom at a government taskforce meeting that she has a duty to ensure the company’s employees receive the wages they are owed.

“We are stressing to the government they must ensure that workers are paid what they are owed in full and without delay,” Mr Cortes said.

“This is no small beer for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. In many cases, it will likely amount to several months’ pay.

His message to ministers and everyone else at the taskforce meeting was “the choice is simple – pay up or be sued.”  

The company, the oldest of its kind in the world, unexpectedly went into administration on Monday last week.

Having not received their monthly pay this Monday, the former staff are currently struggling with rent and mortgage payments and could be forced to use foodbanks.

Thomas Cook cabin crew represented by Unite also handed in a 50,000-strong petition at Downing Street yesterday.

The petition urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to launch a full inquiry into the company’s collapse and for its directors to pay back their bonuses.

A second Unite petition, with over 10,000 signatories, was also handed to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, calling on Ms Leadsom to ensure that the workers receive their wages.

Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: “This week, workers have been left with no income as their wages were not paid.

“Workers do not understand how the profitable Thomas Cook airline was allowed to collapse while the European subsidiaries were able to continue to fly.

“The very least the Thomas Cook workers deserve is to receive an answer to the question as to why the company was allowed to collapse, as well as an explanation from the government as to its lack of action in the lead-up.”