WORKERS hit a jackpot yesterday after they forced high street bookmakers BetFred to pay out almost half a million pounds in redundancy payments.

A total of £496,979 was paid out to 88 low-paid and mostly female workers after they, along with their union Unite, launched a successful social media campaign to publicly shame the company into coughing up the cash.

Unite regional officer Donna Kassim said “together with the workforce we mounted a social media campaign to shame BetFred bosses into doing the right thing.”

She said that as well as public support, workers also “had the backing of our local Labour councillors and MPs who made written representations to the company over the behaviour of CEO John Haddock and the owner of BetFred, Fred Done.”

Mick Whitley said “due to the hard work of our members and their lawyers, workers will now get the redundancy pay out that they are entitled to.

He said the victory “demonstrates the value of union membership and how joint action can empower the workforce to challenge employers who don’t respect the terms and conditions of employment.”

The workers, former employees of government owned Tote, transferred their terms of employment, including enhanced redundancy, when the company was bought by BetFred in 2011.

Fred and Peter Done, worth an estimated £850 million, have had their employment practices called into question before when it was revealed that the company offers high interest loans to its low-paid staff.

At the time the company claimed the loans were “a staff perk.”

A Betfred spokesman said “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the staff and wish them all the best in their future careers.”