MORE than 50 employees walked out of a Basildon factory for the last time as production was shut down and moved to the other side of London.

A total of 54 employees walked out of Waymade pharmaceuticals in Miles Gray Road on Friday with a further 45 expected to go in the next fortnight.

It follows 30 job losses last month and confirmation that production is being moved two sites in Ruislip and Perivale in north west London.

The business was first set up in Basildon back in 1984 by Benfleet millionaire brothers Vijay and Bhikhu Patel, but they transferred a substantial part of it to the B&S Group in December.

Brian Wyatt, managing director of Waymade, said: “We had 54 people leaving on Friday who had chosen to do so and did not wish to stayonhere and finish up production.

“There will be 20 workers leaving on June 19 and around 25 leaving the following week on June 26.

“This will leave us with 105 workers. There will be more redundancies and some will transfer to the new plants in Ruislip and Perivale.”

Mr Wyatt said there would be 30 jobs available at the other factories for staff to apply for, but said he wouldn’t know if the Basildon site had any future until later in the year.

He said: “Once the work and production for packing and distribution has finished here, B&S will have until the end of the year to let us know if the company wants to use our site for some of the packing process.

“Our employees have had help with finding jobs, such as CV writing, and people are coming forward regularly to tell us they have found employment and want to leave.”

Phil Turner, leader of Basildon Council, said: “It sounds like there won’t be much of Waymade left in Basildon soon. I would have liked to see the parts of the company be sold to somebody who could find a future for Waymade in Basildon.

“It is disappointing and the only bright point is with the growth in economy we are seeing in the borough hopefully these people shouldn’t be out of work for long.”

One worker leaving on Friday, who did not want to be named, said: “I’ve been here 14 years, and I’ve got a mortgage and bills to pay, but they just don’t care.”

Another worker, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: “We’re all going – some have taken voluntary redundancy.

I was going to retire soon anyway, so I am glad of my redundancy.”

Another who wouldn’t give a name was very angry and had worked for the company for more than 12 years. “It’s awful the way, it’s been done. They don’t care about any of us.”

Brothers came from humble background

THE two brothers who started Waymade three decades ago decided to sell substantial parts of the firmto spend more time with their grandchildren.

It came six months after figures showed revenue at the pharmaceutical firmhad fallen by £10million in the space of one financial year.

Vijay and Bhikhu Patel, who were born inKenya, come from humble beginnings.

They have risen up the business ladder to be included in the Asian Rich List.

In April 2014, they were ranked number 14, with the net worth of Waymade Healthcare said to be £500million.

Vijay opened his first pharmacy, called Chemys, in Leigh, in 1975, and built up a chain of pharmacies across the South East.

He launched Waymade Pharmaceuticals, with Bhikhu, in 1984, to supply prescription drugs to the chemists.

It soon grew into a huge company and in 2010 the firm began selling dental supplies and custom-made drugs.

The expansion proved so successful the business bought its second base in a disused warehouse on the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, Basildon.