CITY Link staff staged a demonstration at the failed parcel delivery firm's Motherwell depot this morning.

About 2700 jobs are to go at City Link with a further 1000 support staff at risk.

The firm has more than 500 employees in Scotland at major depots in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Livingston and Motherwell, where protestors gathered earlier.

Trade union RMT represents many of the staff and regional organiser Gordon Martin joined them outside the Motherwell depot this morning.

He said: "The administrators are meeting staff this morning but my understanding is they've turned up with no information and no forms for the government scheme set up so that they can get paid.

"The staff are shell shocked. They thought the company had turned the corner, then this bombshell is dropped on them.

"What's making them very angry is it's now emerging administrators have been meeting this company since November and the company set up another company.

"The first RMT knew of the situation was Christmas Eve."

Dale Stewart, a warehouse operative who was with demonstrators outside the Motherwell depot, said: "I've been told I don't have a job. They want us to stay back and clean up for them but that won't be happening. This is my last day."

The 23-year-old, from Holytown, added: "I've been working here for three years and then we get hit with this on Christmas Eve. It's a terrible time of year to try to find work."

Delivery driver Mark O'Neill has been left out of pocket by the firm's collapse.

The 39-year-old from Airdrie has been a sub-contractor with City Link and the company's former owners for more than two decades.

He said: "They owe me six weeks worth of work. I wouldn't like to say how much but we're talking thousands.

"I heard rumours in November that it would close down on Christmas Eve but the hierarchy denied it.'

Staff who work for City Link at a call centre in Cambuslang were also spoken to by administrators this morning.

Customer Care Consultant Aileen McKenzie said: "I was taken in by administrators to be told most of the drivers have been sent away.

"Customer care is working until the 31st as administrators do not understand the nature of our work yet.

"If we are asked to stay on it will only be for a few weeks to keep winding the business down.

"We are all devastated. Lots of people have been crying. Some people are furious that they are making us take calls today when we don't even know if we'll be paid.

"We're getting abuse down the phone from customers and consignees. We'll just have to listen to their abuse."

City Link, which was founded in 1969, was acquired by restructuring specialist Better Capital in April 2013.

The company, which has 2,727 employees, called in administrators from professional services firm EY after years of "substantial losses".

The Coventry-based firm, which is understood to count John Lewis among its largest clients, couldn't find a buyer to bail it out.

Customers have been urged to collect parcels before the company's expected collapse on Hogmanay.