UKH calls for no Christmas strikes amid ongoing rail dispute
It comes as fresh rail strikes, which began on Saturday (30 September), are set to cost the sector up to £400m, on top of the £3.5bn already lost over the last 16 months
Hospitality businesses such as Wasabi, Greene King and Fuller’s have signed an open letter alongside UKH to the Transport Secretary, RMT, ASLEF and Rail Delivery Group, urging them to resolve the ongoing disputes to avoid strikes over the Christmas period.
It comes as fresh rail strikes, which began on Saturday (30 September), are set to cost the sector up to £400m, on top of the £3.5bn already lost over the last 16 months.
The letter, signed by 37 large hospitality businesses, urged both rail unions to make a public commitment to not strike during the critical festive period, to avoid significant economic harm to the sector.
In the open letter, the group wrote: “The significance of the festive season to our sector cannot be overstated. It represents a crucial time when we traditionally see a substantial portion of our annual revenue generated, crucial to enabling venues to operate during the quiet months at the start of the year.
“The festive season is a crucial period for our workforce: missed shifts and subsequent lost earnings – including lost income from tips – would be most acutely felt around Christmas.”
They added: “We are urging the rail unions to make a public commitment to not strike during the critical festive period. Striking would cause significant harm to hospitality businesses, undermine workers’ ability to earn and disrupt the plans of hard-working families across the country.”
All types of hospitality businesses have been affected by the strikes, from city centre food-to-go to family-run pubs on the Kent coast.
Neil Sebba, the managing director of Tossed, said the ongoing strikes had been “extremely debilitating’”, as a business that depends on the flow of office workers.
Beds and Bars, which operates pubs, tourist accommodation and entertainment venues, said its sales were down 70%, on average, on strike days. Keith Knowles, its CEO, said its staff were significantly affected in being unable to get to work.
Phil Thorley runs Thorley Taverns, with almost 20 pubs in Kent, and said strikes had “decimated” the number of visitors from London to the Kent coast. He said it had “deeply affected” trade.
