A BILL to prevent companies treating sacked workers like a "piece of machinery left on the site" was presented to the Commons today by one of the region's MPs.

Phil Wilson, Labour MP for Sedgefield, demanded tougher laws to force companies planning redundancies to allow in Jobcentre Plus staff to advise workers facing the dole queue.

The move follows the MP's anger when an unnamed manufacturing company in his constituency refused to allow redundancy packs to be handed out "in case it inflamed the situation".

It meant that, of the 175 staff given the sack, as few as 20 received advice from Jobcentre Plus staff about benefits and the help on offer to get them back into work.

Mr Wilson told MPs: "Many of those made unemployed had worked for over 20 years and were unaware of the processes and conditions for claiming benefit, nor were they aware of the redundancy support available to them.

"In another part of the North-East, another company went into liquidation. Staff weren't even able to get on to the site to clear their personal effects, as the gates were locked."

Mr Wilson said all companies should be required to treat redundant workers "with respect, not as another commodity which needs to be sorted out, or like a piece of machinery left on the site".

His backbench Bill, which received its first reading today, would place an obligation on insolvency practitioners to alert Jobcentre Plus to the fact that a company is going into liquidation.

At present, Jobcentre Plus is not legally notified of redundancies involving fewer than 90 members of staff and employers are not required to work with its offices.

The Bill has very little chance of becoming law, but employment relations minister Pat McFadden has suggested the government might bring in a code of conduct to "ensure appropriate information is made available".

In a letter to Mr Wilson, Mr McFadden wrote that he was "aware of the concerns" and added: "Consideration will also be given to the best way to introduce trade unions to the partnership."