The TSSA union this week dipped into its benevolent fund to support ex-Cook members with a £300 hardship payment, with many likely facing significant delays receiving their pay.

General secretary Manuel Cortes has warned the government and Cook’s liquidator KPMG now faced a simple choice: “Pay up, or be sued”.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the government’s national Thomas Cook “taskforce” at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on Wednesday (2 October), where former Cook staff have been demonstrating, Cortes said it was incumbent on business secretary Andrea Leadsom and ministers to ensure Cook staff “are paid what they are owed”.

“We are stressing they must ensure workers are paid what they are owed in full and without delay,” said Cortes. “This means for the work carried out to the point at which the company went bust – but also redundancy payments and any other entitlements.

“This is no small beer for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. In many cases, it will likely amount to several months’ pay.”

Besides the hardship payment, Cortes said the union was also providing former Cook staff support on jobs and training opportunities.

“We want to ensure these workers can buy food and are able to support their families at this difficult time,” he added.

It comes after Leadsom this week admitted she did not meet with Thomas Cook ahead of the firm’s collapse on 23 September and instead left matters with the Department for Transport.

Following Cook’s collapse, Leadsom and BEIS – the government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – were among the most vocal, pledging to get to the bottom of what happened to Britain’s oldest travel company.

Leadsom has convened a cross-government taskforce, and vowed to instruct the Insolvency Service to fast-track its investigation into the collapse and the conduct of Cook’s directors.

The taskforce, which comprises BEIS, the DWP, Department for Transport and a handful of other government departments, will focus on supporting affected employees and the local economies hardest hit by Cook’s collapse.