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A bombshell of a report on PetaPixel reveals just how sudden last month’s closure of 94-year-old UK photographic lighting company Bowens has been, especially for its employees. An infuriated UK employee reached out to the photography blog to share their story, and the whole workforce of Bowens China has sent an email to the company to complain about how the process is being handled.
The UK employee, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed anger at how the liquidation has been handled, specifically citing issues with pay. According to them, “26 of the most hard working members in the UK […] were in complete shock [on July 14th] to be informed that they will be unpaid for the previous month, and will have to continue to work through a consultation process unpaid.”
The employee claims the UK crew was told they would have to continue working because they are bound by contract. Staff are reportedly considering legal action.
These claims are backed up by an email sent to Bowens and Calumet distributors by the workforce of Bowens China, and acquired by PetaPixel.
The letter claims employees of Bowens Suzhou were “suddenly abandoned” with “no July wages, no social insurance, [and] no updated information since Germany let us stop work [on the] 17th July.” The employees took to the streets and the German embassy to protest what they’re describing as “dishonest betrayal” and “bloody exploitations” by Aurelius and Calumet.
For their part, Calumet did respond to PetaPixel’s request for comment. The company sent a statement in which it re-states the reasons for closing Bowens (“the result of far reaching changes affecting its market”) before addressing the concerns in China, saying:
“As part of the decision to discontinue its operations Bowens consequently also decided to discontinue the manufacturing operations in China […] The liquidation process is handled according to all local laws and requirements and the employees will be informed in due course on next steps.”
You can read Calumet’s full statement on PetaPixel. However, DPReview has reached out to Calumet for comment as well, specifically asking Calumet to address the claim that employees were not paid for July and are contractually bound to continue working without pay.
We will update this post if and when we hear back.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)