PUBS and restaurants will lose an estimated £1.5 billion in lost revenue due to the rail strikes at Christmas, according to Hospitality UK.
CEO Kate Nicholls, told GB News: “That is our best estimate, based on the rolling strike action that we’re going to see in the week before Christmas, which is the busiest trading week our sector has, and also going over into the weekend.
“The fact that these are rolling strikes means that effectively the whole of that week is taken out and the revenue that would be lost is potentially as high as £1.5 billion.
“There is no doubt that this strike action will be the final nail in the coffin for many businesses and will have a knock on effect on jobs.”
She told Mark Longhurst: “First of all, our workers can’t get to work. If there’s a rail strike, many of them are dependent upon the trains to be able to get into work.
“Unlike many other sectors, you can’t work from home in hospitality. This is obviously its busiest trading period, so many of those who are employed in the hospitality sector will find they could have worked valuable extra hours or more profitable hours, and there are tips that go alongside it.
“Busy workers in the sector do rely upon this week to be able to increase their wages in advance of Christmas.”
Ms Nicholls added: “Clearly we are going to see many customers who will struggle to get in, not just those coming for Christmas parties, but also workers.
“Effectively, it is a work from home restriction that’s being imposed for many people who are reliant upon town and city centres, as well as from retail, for theatres, for entertainment, for families looking to socialise. That’s why the economic impact on our sector is so great.
“Undoubtedly with one in three businesses in our sector not breaking even as a result of Covid and still having no cash reserves, that Christmas trading period was really going to be invaluable to help them get through the bleak months and to be able to protect jobs in our sector.
