A NEWPORT man says he is one of 20 delivery drivers owed thousands of pounds for delivering Amazon parcels at the start of the year.

Jeremy Evans, 55, says delivery service provider Silverback Movements owes him “£1,000 minimum” after a text message sent at 8.58pm on Thursday, January 26, told the drivers they would not be getting paid the next day.

The provider, which employed the 20 drivers for work at the Amazon depots in Newport and Avonmouth, has since closed its website and Facebook page.

“When we had the text message, one of the boys said he hasn’t even got fuel for work,” Mr Evans said.

“He didn’t have money to heat his house in the coldest part of the year. He had no food and had to get his baby’s food from the NHS.”

South Wales Argus: Mr Evans says Silverback Movements owes him a thousand pounds minimumMr Evans says Silverback Movements owes him a thousand pounds minimum (Image: Jeremy Evans)

Mr Evans says the drivers agreed to wait for their payment so long as the struggling father got his pay sooner but, despite initial support for the idea from Silverback Movements, the drivers are still waiting to be compensated for their work.

Mr Evans says he is personally owed £700 for pay and hundreds more in fuel reimbursements and Christmas bonuses.

“It was a knock-on effect because we went three weeks without work and we still had a lot of outgoings,” he said, adding that other drivers went as long as five weeks between agency work.

“The Christmas bonus money was peanuts and that could have been another thousand on top of the other payments.”

The drivers made a formal complaint to Amazon who explained they had also could not contact the provider.

South Wales Argus: Amazon also failed to contact the service providerAmazon also failed to contact the service provider (Image: PA)

Companies House lists Darren Owoo from Newport as the founding director of Silverback Movements and another active director in Simus Turray of Beldevere.

Mr Evans now leads a support group helping other drivers find work and while he feels the “writing was on the wall” with Silverback Movements, he remains underwhelmed with Amazon’s support.

A spokesperson for Amazon said: “We no longer have a relationship with the delivery service provider who received payment for all services provided to Amazon.

“Amazon offers a range of opportunities for drivers to provide services for our delivery service partners across the country.”